A Cherry Blossom Forever After
by Lilian Violet
Summary: The retelling story of, "Beauty and the Beast," but Bleach style. The story of a beautiful maiden, Rukia, who has always hated her given nickname...that wins the heart of a Beast, Byakuya. On HIATUS!
1. The Hated Nickname

_**Hello my beloved readers! Since I've always been busy with my schedule of work, school, and other business, I've decided to write another fanfiction story as a thank you for reviewing my very first fanfiction story. It sounds silly, but since I'm planning on becoming an author in the future, the thoughts of people reading my stories have always given me the hope and determination to never give up on what you want to achieve in life...even if you must suffer a few criticisms. I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am to all of you readers for giving me the strength to move on as a writer, and it is your reviews that give me a reason to work hard on my dreams; so I sincerely thank you all from the bottom of my heart. With that said, let's give a warm welcome to my new story, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After," the retelling story of Beauty and the Beast...in Bleach style of course. We all know the story of Beauty and the Beast, but I plan to add a little of Bleach action to this story. Some of the major details will be of the original Beauty and the Beast, but there will also be new details to make this story even more interesting and appealing to the readers eye. So just to recap on the true story of Beauty and the Beast, a beautiful maiden wins the heart of a hideous Beast, that part of the story I'm obviously going to keep...a beautiful maiden (Rukia) finds herself in the custody of a Beast (Byakuya) who must receive her love for his own mysterious reasons. Even though the major Beauty and the Beast events are going to be known, what sort of obstacles await Rukia and Byakuya in this story of a beauty who wins the heart of a beast? Please enjoy my new fanfiction story to the fullest!**_

_**Reminder: Remember I don't own Bleach or the characters, so please excuse my writing if the characters are out of character. Even my couple matches many be a bit hard to imagine, but really, it's the only way to make my story work well. Once again, I hope you enjoy my new story!**_

_**A Cherry Blossom Forever After**_

_***~Chapter One: The Wealthy Ukitake Family and the Hated Nickname~***_

This tale really is as old as time. It seemed like forever since the adventure that changed my life happened, but I could never forget the many details that helped me through that specific journey. I could still picture the many wonders that were hidden in that mysterious castle, smell the floral scent of cherry blossoms whiffing through the wind, and still feel that blissful tender loving feeling only for..._him. _You may think that this adventure of mine is practically impossible to imagine, but for me, it is as real as the love that brought me and my beloved together. The only way to convince you that this adventure actually happened...is to start from the very beginning.

The story begins in the Seireitei, a luxurious paradise that is known for the rich and wealthy people that live there. Almost everybody living in the Seireitei were wealthy, but none so well known than that of the merchant named Jushiro Ukitake, who was respected by his fellow men...the men who knew of his successful fortunes. Being a merchant who sold rare spices, luxurious cloth, and many silver and gold vases and jewlery, Jushiro had the makings of a promising business man. Jushiro even owned his own shipyard. which was extremely useful since most of his supplies came from overseas, but his business was only one of the many good fortunes that came upon him.

Jushiro's most heavenly fortune was meeting and marrying the beautiful Unohana Retsu. When Jushiro was coming of age and about to inherit his father's business, he was a bit unsure of himself since he was always a sickly child, and didn't feel that he had what it takes to run a big business all on his own. One day as he was preparing to leave overseas at the request of his father in order to prove if he was worthy of running the family business, Jushiro found himself unable to retain his health, and so when he was out at sea he fell terribly ill...only for the men who boarded the ship with him to find land as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, Jushiro's men found land in time for them to find someone to tend to their sickly captain, and they did find someone indeed. Moments later, Unohana was brought aboard the ship, and tended to Jushiro as best as she could, but just like him; she was also starting out at something she had to prove. In Unohana's case, proving to her parents, who wanted her to be a lawyer like them, that tending to the sick and injured was what she really wanted to do. Sure enough, with Unohana's love and care, Jushiro was feeling as good as he's ever felt in years; and with the time that she spent caring for him and helping him get back on his feet, something else was developing between them..._love_. As Jushiro was recovering from his sickness he would often talk to Unohana about himself and all of his previous journeys, while she would also talk about herself and her passion for tending to the sick and injured. Feeling her pain when Unohana told him about her parents's different choice of opportunities for her, Jushiro offered her a place with him, and to come with him once the cargo was loaded. Overwhelmed by Jushiro's offer, Unohana happily accepted, knowing that she could finally follow her dream and become a nurse in the Seireitei. So once the cargo was finally loaded, Unohana said goodbye to her hometown and left with Jushiro to the Seireitei...and in return for his generous offer, she promised that once they landed, she would be honored to become his wife. And that's exactly what happened; once the ship landed in the Seireitei, the cargo was unloaded, and the business was taken care of, Jushiro happily married Unohana in a joyful ceremony that sealed their love forever.

Everyone in the Seireitei agreed that Jushiro and Unohana were a matching pair, since he didn't have to bother with getting sick while taking care of business if she was there to tend to his every ailing sickness. Aside from their perfect match up, Jushiro and Unohana were just happy to have each other, and knew that their love will continue to grow and support their upcoming family.

Throughout the many jovial years, Jushiro and Unohana were blessed with three beautiful baby girls, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia. The oldest daughter was Rangiku, who grew into a beautiful young maiden with long orange blonde hair, lovely blue eyes, and an even more beautiful smile.

The middle daughter was Orihime, who was just as beautiful as her big sister, with long orange hair, shiny brown eyes, and her smile was even more bigger than Rangiku's and equally beautiful.

The youngest daughter was Rukia, now she, being the youngest amongst her sisters, was described as odd and highly remarkable...although she was truly loved by Jushiro and Unohana anyway. The reason Rukia has been called odd and remarkable, was solely due to the fact of a certain incident that gave Rukia the one thing she utterly came to hate..._her nickname_.

It was a beautiful spring morning when it happened, Jushiro, Unohana, a 12 year old Rangiku, a 10 year old Orihime, and an 8 year old Rukia, were walking through their large garden like they did almost every morning. One of Rukia's favorite things to do in the garden was to skip merrily around the cherry blossom trees, and while she was skipping, the small cherry blossom petals would fall from the branches and into her hair. With the cherry blossom petals still in her hair, Rukia would walk up to her parents and happily chant as she blushed as pink as the cherry blossoms, "Look at me, look at me, ain't I a little beauty." Jushiro and Unohana would beam at their littlest daughter with so much happiness that they would smile and say to Rukia, "Yes, you are a little beauty." At that moment, Rukia smiled the brightest smile anyone in her family has ever seen, and announced with as much pride as she could while throwing a couple of cherry blossom petals into the air, "That's right, I am a little beauty, so that's what I want to be called from now on..._Beauty_."

At first Rukia loved her nickname "Beauty," because her parents thought that the name truly suited her...and instead of calling her Rukia at times, they would call her "Beauty," instead. As the time went by and Rukia grew, she came to hate her nickname, and cursed herself for ever suggesting to called herself "Beauty," in the first place, but it was mostly because she felt like the name was stuck to her, when she thought of herself as unsuperior to her more glamorous sisters. It was true. Rukia thought of herself as an ugly person, and why shouldn't she, when she grew to have short black hair while her sisters had long wavy hair, she was short and petite while her sisters were tall and femininely shaped, and even more embarrassingly was that she had, well, a flat chest while her sisters had, well, large breasts...which of course was the main attraction to some of the guys they came across in town.

Due to her unattractive look as a female, Rukia came to hate her nickname more and more each day, but Jushiro and Unohana loved their daughter and still thought of her as "Beauty." However, since Rukia came to mention her dislike for her nickname over and over again, her family stopped calling her "Beauty," at times, and would only call her by her nickname when they felt the name should be necessary for her to hear.

Despite the fact that Rukia knew her family was trying so hard not to call her "Beauty," she came to the conclusion that she would be pleased whenever she heard her nickname coming from her family, since it was the name that everyone came to love and cherish from the time she was a child. However, deep down, Rukia would always and forever..._hate her nickname_.

_**That's the end of the first chapter to my new fanfiction, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" Since it's only the introduction to my story, I'm a bit disappointed that this chapter isn't be as long as I hoped, but I have many more chapters to type in the future to make up for it. So my readers, how did you enjoy this fanfiction chapter? It might be a bit blank knowing that all of you know the Beauty and the Beast story from beginning to end, but still, it's something to admire and it gives me practice. So in the next chapter, I'll be talking more about the Ukitake family, you know...getting to know them so you can see how they impact this fanfiction story in the future. But for now, I can say nothing more, for I leave the reviewing to you...my beloved readers, and I can't wait to see your reviews that have helped me so much with my writing career. In fact, and not to toot my own horn, but because of your reviews and ideas I was able to get an A on my writing assignment in school. Ok, enough of my bragging, I'll be keeping up with all of you as soon as possible...and not to sadden anyone, but I'm planning on removing my first fanfiction story, "A Love that will Last a Lifetime," if you disapprove of this decision tell me so I won't make a big mistake and upset you. On that note, please continue to read, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" Farewell my readers! :) **_


	2. A Day in the Life of the Ukitake's

_**Hello my beloved readers! Well, I never expected to update so soon, since I've been thinking about more fanfiction story ideas...but to be totally honest, I've been stressing out like crazy. I'd tell you what has been bothering me, but I'll probably just give myself another crucial headache. Since typing has always been a stress reliever for me, I've decided to update this story to give my mind some peace, and to give you guys another updated chapter. Also, watch out for my newest Pokemon fanfiction "The Diamond Poke Ball," a film noir story of Detective Cilan and his beloved mistress Lady Burgundy...so please consider reading it, if you don't want to then it's ok. After all, Pokemon is a very old anime show, even though I still love it for some reason (laugh) maybe it's because I haven't really grown up. I also want to inform you that I may not be able to update my stories as early as I want, since I'm starting a new term of college, but I'll try to make time and update. So now that this is the second chapter, I've decided to get into the Ukitake family, and let you get to now the background of each family member...this will help further my fanfiction story. But even though getting to know the Ukitake family may be plain, it is also nice to know about their separate backgrounds, and in writing I'm told that is one of the most important things to keep in mind. So with the many wonders of how each of these characters will act and what they have to offer this story, will become even more interesting to read. Even though the major Beauty and the Beast events are going to be known, what sort of obstacles await Rukia and Byakuya in this story of a beauty who wins the heart of a beast? Please enjoy the newest chapter of, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :D**_

_**Reminder: Remember I don't own Bleach or the characters, so please excuse my writing if the characters are out of character. Even my couple matches many be a bit hard to imagine, but really it's the only way to make my story work well. Once again I hope you enjoy my new story! :D**_

_**A Cherry Blossom Forever After**_

_***~Chapter Two: A Day in the Life of the Ukitake Family~***_

Out of all the families in the Seireitei, there wasn't one single person who didn't know about the Ukitake family. The Ukitake family was so wealthy and powerful...that they were mostly the talk of the whole town.

Jushiro Ukitake's business as a merchant and ship owner seemed to be getting better each and every day, with the reward of being respected by his fellow men. Jushiro would always say that he wouldn't trade his life for anything, and some say that it was probably true, since he had so much money that it was no wonder he wouldn't give up his wealthy life. However, Jushiro mentioned that it wasn't the money, shipyard, or his business that made him so blissful each day...but the love and support from his beloved family.

Along with Jushiro's business as a merchant and ship owner, Unohana was busy working at the Seireitei Hospital. With all her hard work and dedication to helping the sick and injured, Unohana became the head administrator to the entire hospital. Like the men who admired Jushiro's work, everyone at the hospital admired Unohana's work, and therefore became inspired on how she managed to become the head of the most enormous hospital in the Seireitei.

Alongside their parents's successful outburst of gossip, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia were also the talk of the Seireitei.

Being the oldest out of three sisters, Rangiku was by far known as the..._party goddess_. When she was old enough to stroll out into the Seireitei on her own Rangiku came across the Seireitei's most popular bar "The Flower Budding Pub," and decided to do a little "exploring." At the end of the day, the owner of the pub, Mr. Shunsui Kyoraku, walked back to the Ukitake mansion carrying a rather drunk Rangiku in his arms...and after downing a few bottles of sake, she learned that a hangover wasn't such a bad thing, until the following morning. Luckily, Rangiku didn't get into so much trouble that day, since Jushiro and Shunsui were the best of friends ever since Jushiro shipped some of Shunsui's merchandise for him. Rangiku was allowed back into "The Flower Budding Pub," but only if she had the will power to control her drinking, which was almost impossible for her...but she loved that place so much, because of its mouthwatering sake, that she agreed to the terms. Rangiku was actually glad that she agreed to the terms, because if she didn't, she might of never met her soul mate; whom she met at "The Flower Budding Pub." Gin was an orphan, and roamed the streets of the Seireitei at a very young age, but was found and taken in by Shunsui; who gave him a place to stay and work when he became of age. Since he was grateful to Shunsui for everything that he's done for him, Gin accepted his offer and lived at the pub; having a home, a job as a bartender, and a new happy life. Gin had no idea that his life was about to become even more complete when he met Rangiku, and the more he saw her coming into the pub, the more love he felt for her. However, knowing his background as an orphan, Gin felt like he had nothing to offer to a women of such high standards, and thought that it was practically impossible for Rangiku to return his feelings. Fortunately, after the whole drunk matter, Shunsui introduced Gin to his friends daughter; which happened to be Rangiku...and after that, everything changed for the two lovers. Rangiku and Gin spent the whole day talking amongst themselves, and the more they got to know each other, the more they fell in love. It wasn't long before Gin built enough courage to ask Jushiro for Rangiku's hand in marriage, and he admired Gin's honest decision so much, that he happily accepted...especially if it meant that he and Shunsui would soon be close in-laws, but mostly, if it included Rangiku's happiness.

Orihime was described as being "_a kind hearted person with a heart larger than her smile_." No matter what, Orihime would always think of her friends before herself, and would happily assist them in any way she could..._as long as she didn't have to cook for them_. That's right, Orihime was a very bad cook. One day, Orihime wanted to cook a meal especially for her family, and they were more than happy to agree with her offer...not knowing of what they were getting themselves into. Despite her hard work and culinary creations, the Ukitake family (aside from Orihime and Rangiku,) spent that entire dinner desperately trying to stomach Orihime's food; although the family thanked her for her efforts anyway, since they didn't have the heart to tell her that her food was absolutely...unedible. After that food disaster, the Ukitake family tried to keep Orihime out of the kitchen, to prevent her from making any more of her food creations. However, only Rangiku insisted that Orihime should make some more of her delicious food for her stomach only, which was absolutely fine with the rest of the family...as long as they didn't have to eat it, but would never admit that to Orihime in person. Aside from her bad cooking, Orihime found her true calling card when she discovered how much she admired her mother Unohana's work in the medical field. After much dedication and hard work of her own, Orihime found that she was a matching talent in the medical field as Unohana was, and became her mother's assistant in some of her medical work...needless to say, Unohana was proud to have another nurse in the family, claiming that Orihime was her "_mother's daughter_."

Lastly was Rukia, and no gossip was more outgoing than that of what the people of the Seireitei had to say about the youngest Ukitake daughter. Rukia was described as nothing more but "_odd_." Excelling in her outstanding background in both kindess and educated degree, Rukia was more remarkable than the people ever imagined, but had to admit that for a girl her age; it was odd that she was so...intelligent. It was no wonder, since Rukia simply lived her life surrounded by her love and fascination of books. No matter where she went, Rukia would always carry a few books with her, in case she felt the need to explore the wonders of the litertary world. Even back home, Rukia was mostly found in the Ukitake family's gigantic library, comfortly tucked in an armchair with a book laid open in her lap. Although the library was very comfortable, Rukia found an even more peaceful mind when she was reading underneath the cherry blossom trees in her family's garden, and whenever she would read under the beautiful cherry blossom trees her mind would wander off into the many books...and would sometimes feel like she was actually in the books herself. Thanks to her many readings, Rukia went on and became a star pupil in her schooling, making Jushiro and Unohana very proud in their littlest daughter; but were also very impressed to know that their daughter was a bonafied genius. With all her outstanding achievements known to everyone, they also agreed to one thing that was truly obvious, "_it's her kind and generous heart that makes her beautiful_." Like her family, the people of the Seireitei knew Rukia by her nickname "Beauty," although they didn't know how she received such a name, the people of the Seireitei all agreed that Rukia's true beauty came from within. Even though Rukia still came to hate her nickname, it made her happy to know that she was loved by all who knew her.

All were told that the Ukitake family were as happy and lucky as a family came be, _but had they stayed that way forever...then there would be no story to tell in the future_.

_**That's the end of the second chapter to, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :) With so many information on the Ukitake family and there many talents, it's not hard to imagine what will happen next. Now that you know all about the Ukitake family, the time has come for the third chapter. The upcoming chapter has everything to do with the misfortunes of the Ukitake family, since every event in a persons life has there ups and the downs. So, we will now come to the event that will be the start of Rukia's upcoming adventure. Unfortunately, my summer term for college is coming soon, so I won't be able to update my stories as soon as I can; but I promise to type up bits of my stories as often as I can. Even though I'll be late in updating, its good for my many future ideas to come kicking in, and give me more wonderful ideas to add to the many stories I type. So, please try to endure with me as much as possible, trust me, I'm gonna be so stressed with college work...thank goodness typing my fanfiction stories has always been a stress reliever. I'm afraid I won't be able to update my other stories either, but like I said, I'll try to manage as much as I can to update those stories during my upcoming college term. **__**On that note, please continue to read, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" Farewell my readers! :) **_


	3. Unfortunate Events

_**Hello my beloved readers! It's been good in college so far, but now I'm finally able to take a break from my college studies for a short while; and in turn, was also able to take the time to update some of my other fanfiction stories...including this one, and now here is your reward for being so patient with me after all this time. So after learning about the characters and how each of them are special in there own way, in which will make this story even more interesting, it's now time to head on into the major event that's going to start Rukia's ultimate journey. As we all know, with every succession, there's always a certain misfortune that follows...but in time, we come to learn from those misfortunes and head on towards the biggest accomplishments in our lives. In this case, the many misfortunes that are to befall upon the Ukitake family, will come to the purpose of becoming their start to a different lifestyle...even if some of those misfortunes leave some physical or emotional damage. Even though the major Beauty and the Beast events are going to be known, what sort of obstacles await Rukia and Byakuya in this story of a beauty who wins the heart of a beast? Please enjoy the newest chapter of, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :D**_

_**Reminder: Remember I don't own Bleach or the characters, so please excuse my writing if the characters are out of character. Even my couple matches many be a bit hard to imagine, but really it's the only way to make my story work well. Once again I hope you enjoy my new story! :D**_

_**A Cherry Blossom Forever After**_

_***~Chapter Three: Unfortunate Events~***_

Throughout the years, the Ukitake family grew more and more happier by the day, and the more happier they were the more admiration they received from everyone in the Seireitei..._but then those moments ended_.

As if a dark cloud loomed over the Seireitei that day, the fortunes of the Ukitake family took a sudden turn for the worse.

The first misfortune happened the day when Jushiro decided to work in his merchant shop later that night in order to balance out his work schedule between his shop and shipyard. However, when Jushiro arrived at his merchant shop he found that it was set on fire by thieves who had robbed him of his whole storage of rare items, which include imported cloth, jewelry, and other marketing goods.

Hoping to find a solution out of this unfortunate predicament, Jushiro immediately set a shipment out, asking for new goods in hopes he can rebuild his business; and build a new merchant shop.

Unfortunately, the second misfortune fell upon the Ukitake family. Jushiro's shipment made it through just fine, and his cargo ship was loaded with new items that were ready to be delivered to him...but the shipment never made it to the Seireitei port. Two weeks passed until the bad news made it to Jushiro, he found out that his shipment of items was taken by a couple of rouge pirates, and that the ship was sunk to the bottom of the sea...at least he was relieved to hear that the men boarding that ship was found by another ship sailing nearby as they were floating in the sea, having the bits of broken board from the sunken ship to hang onto as they waited to board the ship that saved them.

With nothing to sell, and with little money to pay off his debt...Jushiro was on the brink of ruin.

The misfortunes only became worse from there on out, since he only had a small amount of money left Jushiro had no choice but to sell his shipyard; leaving him with a little extra money, and no more shipyard to call his own.

Even more unfortunate, was that the money he received from selling off his shipyard wasn't nearly enough to pay for his house debt; and Jushiro had no choice but to auction off his house as well...leaving the Ukitake family without a house in three months time.

With all these unfortunate events, the Ukitake family had no idea..._that the worst of the misfortunes was about to befall upon them_.

As the three months were slowly passing by, the Ukitake family was preparing for their most unfortunate event yet. After the days in which Jushiro lost both his merchant shop and shipyard, Unohana became terribly ill, so ill in fact that she became bedridden for weeks. During the middle of the second month, Unohana's illness took a turn for the worse...until the doctor declared that she only had a few days left to live.

One night, the Ukitake family gathered around Unohana's hospital bed, Jushiro holding his wife's weak fragile hand, Rangiku trying to relax in Gin's (who had graciously offered to come along,) embrace, Orihime rapidly digging around in a nurse's hospital bag, and Rukia gently placing her hands on her father's shoulders with a slightly sorrowful look on her face.

"There's got to be something in here to make mother feel better," said Orihime in a frustrated yet sad voice as she turned the nurse bag upside down to dump the many items that were inside.

Rangiku felt the pain crush her heart at Orihime's attempt to find something that would restore their mother's health, but to no prevail. At the sight of her sister's failed attempt, Rangiku couldn't help but bury her face into Gin's chest and cry silent tears. Gin could only imagine the pain that his beloved fiancee was feeling, but it was enough to hold her close and share her sorrows.

Gathering all the strength she had left in her weak state, Unohana managed to smile that motherly grin of hers and told her family in a hoarse whisper, "Please don't be sad my darlings, life is full of beginnings and endings; but when we all come to our end...we will eventually meet in a better place."

"Hana," cried Jushiro as his body began to shudder violently as he continued to hold Unohana's hand.

Unohana silently chuckled as she whispered to her husband Jushiro, "You haven't called me that in ages my love, I'm counting on you to raise, care, and love our daughters for the both of us now."

The tears continued to flow down Jushiro's face as he kissed his wife Unohana on the forehead and said to her, "I promise, my love."

Unohana turned to Rangiku next, and told her with a weak motherly smile, "My lovely Rangiku, may you receive many blessings now that you've found your true love; and I just know that one day you'll make a fine mother to your children."

Rangiku couldn't help but cry even harder into Gin's chest as he continued to hold onto her, and he looked upon Unohana and said to her as he began to cry a few tears himself, "I promise you, Lady Unohana, that I'll be a good husband to your daughter, and a good father to your future grandchildren."

Unohana smiled weakly at Gin and told him, "Thank you Gin...I'm proud to call you my son-in-law."

Unohana turned her attention to Orihime, who made her way to her mother's bedside, clutched her other hand, and said to her daughter in a weak motherly voice, "My beloved Orihime, there's no doubt in my mind that you'll become a fine nurse in the future...and I just want you to know that I'm very proud of you."

Orihime's tears flowed rapidly down her cheeks, and she sadly told Unohana, "I may not be a professional nurse like you, but I'll try my hardest to become a fine nurse for your sake mother."

Last but not least, Unohana turned to Rukia, who was still tending to Jushiro's aid; and with the same motherly grin she gave both Rangiku and Orihime she said to her youngest daughter, "Rukia, my beautiful little Beauty. The love in your heart, the kindness that you show others, and the brightness of your intelligence is what makes you so beautiful. I hope one day, someone can see those things in you...and maybe fall in love with you because of them."

Rukia highly doubted that someone would fall in love with a plain simple girl like herself, but right here and now, all she cared about was her mother's last wish for her; and she told Unohana while trying to hold back the tears that were swelling in her eyes, "I'll just have to wait and see what the future holds for me."

The next morning, Unohana Ukitake died, leaving a mournful Ukitake family to honor and treasure the memories of her; and try to live on while carrying the wishes that she bestowed to each of them.

The many misfortunes took their toll on the Ukitake family name, and after learning about these unfortunate events everyone in the Seireitei believed that the entire family was one big jinx; and soon their admiration for the family disappeared..._along with the once good fortune that use to belong to the Ukitake family_.

_**That's the end of the third chapter to, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :) Well, this is what sometimes happens to those who hit the successful road...even the most successful of us may hit a bump in the road now and then. I'm sorry if I had to cut Unohana out of this fanfiction story so soon, but in the real version of, "Beauty and the Beast," it is the widowed father that takes care of his daughters up until the end; so I decided to add that detail into my story as well. With so many unfortunate events, will the Ukitake family ever be happy once more? In the next chapter, we will see how the Ukitake family deals with the new lifestyle that lies before them? Will the Ukitake family adjust to their new lifestyle? This is only the beginning to Rukia's ultimate adventure. Unfortunately, my summer term for college is coming soon, so I won't be able to update my stories as soon as I can...but I promise to type up bits of my stories as often as I can. Even though I'll be late in updating, it's good for my many future ideas to come kicking in, and give me more wonders to add to the many stories I type; so try to endure with me as much as possible. Trust me, I'm gonna be so stressed with college work...but thank goodness typing my fanfiction stories has always been a stress reliever. I'm afraid I won't be able to update my other stories either, but like I said, I'll try to manage as much as I can to update those stories as well during my upcoming college term. **__**On that note, please continue to read, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" Farewell my readers! :) **_


	4. Journey to a New Lifestyle

_**Hello my beloved readers! (Groan) College life is hard, with all the homework, instructors, and tutoring...life has been so tiring for me now a days. Even so, its been good in college, but now I'm finally able to take a break from my college studies for a short while. In turn, I was able to take the time to update some of my other fanfiction stories, including this one, and now here is your reward for being so patient with me after all this time. Like most good fortunes, there comes a certain time where things take a sudden turn for the worse...and now that you've seen some of the Ukitake's misfortunes, it's time to move on, and see how they deal with the situation at hand. The loss of Jushiro's business, the loss of the Seireitei citizens admiration, and the mournful loss of a beloved Ukitake member...how can anybody take such misfortunes in and learn to move on? The beginning of the Ukitake family's journey starts here. What wonders await the Ukitake family in their new lifestyle? Even though the major Beauty and the Beast events are going to be known, what sort of obstacles await Rukia and Byakuya in this story of a beauty who wins the heart of a beast? Please enjoy the newest chapter of, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :D**_

_**Reminder: Remember I don't own Bleach or the characters, so please excuse my writing if the characters are out of character. Even my couple matches many be a bit hard to imagine, but really it's the only way to make my story work well. Once again I hope you enjoy my new story! :D**_

_**A Cherry Blossom Forever After**_

_***~Chapter Four: The Upcoming Journey to a New Lifestyle~***_

The loss of the Ukitake family's business, the coldness given by the Seireitei citizens that once praised the family, and the painful mournful loss of their beloved Unohana Ukitake; what once was the happy jovial Ukitake family, became a miserable saddened family...with nothing but broken hearts and unfortunate luck.

As the auction for their house came nearer and nearer, the only two who started to heal from all their misfortunes were Rukia and Rangiku. After the death of their mother, Rangiku began to get more and more better by the day; thanks to the love and care Gin gave her, and after the promise he made to Unohana, he never stopped trying to lift his lover's spirit. On the other hand, Rukia tried so hard to lift her father Jushiro's and her sister Orihime's spirits back to life, but even though her sister was the only one slowly showing some progress...that didn't stop her from trying to comfort her father in his hour of need.

It was one night before the big auction, and the Ukitake family gathered around the parlour one last time; as they recalled their memories of living in their huge mansion.

"This house sure does hold a lot of memories," sighed Jushiro wistfully as he clutched the cup of tea he was drinking, "I'm sure whoever buys this house...will learn to love it like we did."

Rangiku sighed sadly as she cuddled against Gin, who wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace, Orihime remained silent as she stared into her cup of tea, and Rukia began to think of all her most fondest treasured memories of the house she grew up in.

Even though it was hard for Rukia to pinpoint a favorite memory, she could still recall the enjoyable moments of eating together with her family in their giant dining room, hear the laughter of her family as they took their morning walks in their beautiful garden (which also took them back to when Rukia received her nickname "Beauty,") the library which held an endless sea of books (in which Rukia would take a few and read them under the cherry blossom trees in their garden,) even the parlour (in which the Ukitake family were in at the very moment,) held a lot of wonderful memories; since the entire family would spent countless hours talking amongst themselves about each others day and having a couple of laughs along the way of those conversations.

However, with all the unfortunate events that occured; the mansion parlour was, for the first time in years...silent.

"Well," Jushiro said to Rangiku, Orihime and Rukia in a slightly soft whisper, but still ended the silence in the parlour, "It's time for us to get some rest for um..." he paused for a few minutes and added as he tried to muster up a decent smile to give to his three lovely daughters before departing, "...Tomorrow."

Without saying another word, Jushiro, Orihime, Rangiku, and Gin left the parlour, with Orihime leaving with Jushiro as she escorted him to his bedroom, and Rangiku seeing Gin off as they stopped by the front door, kissed each other good night, and then he left while taking one final glimpse of the Ukitake family's mansion for the last time.

Only Rukia remained in the parlour after her family departed, and after recalling all of her fondest memories within her family's household...for the first time since her mother died, she hung her head down and began to silently cry.

Auction day came all too soon for the Ukitake family, as they were escorted to the cellar while their house, and valuables within the household included, were being auctioned off. As the auction went on, the Ukitake family waited in the cellar silently with Jushiro stand up against a barrelled wine caste while trying to wrap his mind around the fact that soon he and his daughters would soon be without a home, Rangiku was feeling a little tense and uncomfortable especially since Gin wasn't around at the time, Orihime sat in a corner hugging her legs as she tried to endure the pain of losing everything she ever came to love in the house she once lived in, and Rukia was trying to once again lift her family's spirits by explaining to them that they may have lost their home and every item they possessed, but they still had each other.

After a couple more hours, the Ukitake family were called out of the cellar...and were finally escorted out of their once beloved mansion. As they were leaving, the Ukitake family stopped to take a glimpse of what items were sold at the auction, the Ukitake family's best china, many oriental rugs, vases, coffee tables, paintings, everthing the family owned was gone...and the house soon looked forlorn.

However, as the Ukitake family were escorted outside, they found a few items left behind on the porch by those who felt sorry for the family, smoked ham, bacon, and venison, a basket filled with breads and jars of different flavored jams, another basket filled with apples, oranges, pears, peaches, and persimmon, bolts of cloth made from gingham, chintz, muslin, linen, and fine-woven wool, three fur capes, a large bag of rice, a couple of bottles of sake, and a cute baby rabbit with blue eyes and white fur in a golden cage.

Luckily, even though many people in the Seireitei still believed that the Ukitake family was jinxed, they still had a friend in Shunsui, who offered them a place to stay at the "Flower Budding Pub," until the family could find another place to live. At first, Jushiro declined Shunsui's offer, saying that if he and his family were to stay at "The Flower Budding Pub," his business would probably go under because the "jinxed," family was staying there; and people would stop coming to his pub instantly. Shunsui told Jushiro that he was being silly for thinking that he and his family had a case of bad luck, and that their friendship meant more to him than his own business. If Shunsui was going to lose his business at the cost of helping his friend Jushiro, then he would happily take the chance.

So after gathering up all their items from the porch, the Ukitake family traveled to the middle of the Seireitei to take refuge at "The Flower Budding Pub."

As they arrived at "The Flower Budding Pub," Shunsui happily took the Ukitake family in, and showed them around the pub before taking them to their rooms. The pub looked like any other drinking establishment, with shelves stacked with beers, wines, cider, and sakes. In some parts of the pub, you can see beer kegs, play tables, and there was even a smoking area.

After showing the Ukitake family around, Shunsui took them to the back of the pub, were a couple of rooms were made for their arrival. There were three solitary rooms, one of them held two beds, but they were all exactly the same; small, cold, and smelled like alcohol.

"Um...sorry," Shunsui told Jushiro, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia as he blushed sheepishly after showing them their rooms, "I tried to make the rooms as neat as possible."

"They're just fine, Shunsui," Jushiro reassured Shunsui as he placed the bag he was carrying down so he could stretch his arms.

"Since I come here almost every day, I'm use to the smell of alcohol," Rangiku replied with a smile as she breathed in the deep aroma of alcohol.

"I think all this alcohol is finally getting to Rangiku's head," Orihime whispered to Rukia, who giggled in response.

Shunsui told Jushiro that he could have the room with the medium sized bed, Rangiku happily took the room next to her father's, and Orihime and Rukia shared the last bedroom.

With everyone settled in, the Ukitake family began their living at "The Flower Budding Pub," in hopes that one day...they could find another place to call home.

Several days went by, and the Ukitake family, except for Rukia, started to lose all hope of ever finding another place to live...even though they were grateful to Shunsui for giving them a place to stay at his pub. It was only until Gin came back from an unknown trip after the auction, that the Ukitake family were going to have a gigantic new change in their lives.

When the Ukitake family were unpacking their things in their rooms, Rangiku asked Shunsui about Gin's whereabouts; claiming that she hasn't seen him since the auction took place. Shunsui mentioned that Gin had traveled to a far away town for unknown purposes, but should be coming back in a couple of days.

However, when Gin did come back to the Seireitei, he was as jovial as ever, and couldn't wait to tell the Ukitake family the good news he carried.

As he arrived at "The Flower Budding Pub," Gin explained his entire journey to the Ukitake family. When the auction got underway, Gin desperately wanted to help the Ukitake family, knowing that they will soon be without a home when the auction was over. So Gin traveled to the northern part of Seireitei, and came across a town known as..._Karakura Town_. Being a newcomer to such a small town had its down sides, until Gin met a lady, who was known for her famous fireworks. The lady's name was Madam Kukaku, and she was willing to hear Gin's story after he took the trouble of coming all the way from the Seireitei to travel to the far away town of Karakura. Taking Kukaku's generous offer, Gin told her the whole story of the Ukitake family's many misfortunes, and how they are in desperate need for a new place to live. Being the tough person she was, Kukaku wasn't use to feeling sympathy for any other person or family, but she could deeply understand the Ukitake family's situation. After much consideration, Kukaku sent Gin back to the Seireitei with an offer of a lifetime.

"Kukaku is willing to set aside a cottage for you to live in," Gin happily told the Ukitake family, as they were awestrucked after hearing all about his journey to Karakura Town.

After a long time of silence, Jushiro shook his head in denial and said with a melancholy frown, "This offer is too good to be true, and we can't expect much from a lifestyle that is totally different from the lifestyle we use to have."

Rukia placed a gentle hand on Jushiro's shoulder and told him with a gentle smile, "Let's give this new lifestyle a chance father, if we are given this great opportunity we'll face the challenge together...as a family."

"I'm with Rukia," Rangiku said as she clutched Gin's hand and whispered a loving thank you to him for all that he's done, "If we all stick together, then this new lifestyle will be no trouble at all."

Orihime cried tears of joy, not knowing if she was crying from the offer of getting a new home or her family's strong will to move on, and announced, "I'll take on this new lifestyle too, and I'll proudly do it with all of you by my side."

Jushiro was touched by the words of his three daughters, his big hearted Rangiku may have been the gossip-party queen, but she was always there for him and her sisters when they needed help or advice on a problem, his silly Orihime always brought a smile to his face and made him forget most of his troubles with the brightness of her smile, and his little "Beauty," Rukia always having hope and faith for her family no matter how hopeless things were for them...she always had a strong will to help everyone move on. Jushiro was the proudest father in the world to have such wonderful daughters to call his own, and he loved each and every one of them in their own special way.

"That settles it then," Jushiro said to Rangiku, Gin, Orihime, and Rukia with a beaming smile of happiness as he hugged them all, "We'll leave to Karakura Town...tomorrow."

_**That's the end of the fourth chapter to, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :) With one unfortunate event comes a ray of hope. The Ukitake family have now found a new home in the small town of Karakura, and now, will things finally be back to normal for them...even if the lifestyle is different? How will the Ukitake family cope in this new lifestyle? Well, one things for sure, as long as the Ukitake family stays together with the love they have for one another...everything will be just fine for them in their new home and lifestyle. Unfortunately, my summer term for college is coming soon, so I won't be able to update my stories as soon as I can, but I promise to type up bits of my stories as often as I can. Even though I'll be late in updating,, it's good for my many future ideas to come kicking in, and give me more wonders to add to the many stories I type...so try to endure with me as much as possible. Trust me, I'm gonna be so stressed with college work, but thank goodness typing my fanfiction stories has always been a stress reliever. I'm afraid I won't be able to update my other stories either, but like I said, I'll try to manage as much as I can to update those stories during my upcoming college term. **__**On that note, please continue to read, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" Farewell my readers! :) **_


	5. A New Home in Karakura Town

_**Hello my beloved readers! OH HAPPY DAYS! My college summer term is finally over! That means I can type new updated stories non-stop, starting with this fanfiction story "A Cherry Blossom Forever After." XD Not to mention I passed with flying colors. Now that the misfortunes have took their toll on the Ukitake family, it has come to the point where they must move on to a better life. Starting off with the Ukitake family's first move...finding a new place that they can call home. Thanks to Gin, the Ukitake family has been offered a place to stay in Karakura Town. As the Ukitake's plan to move from their once beloved hometown to a whole new place, will they ever find happiness in their new home? If so, will the Ukitake family ever get use to their new lifestyle? Even though the major Beauty and the Beast events are going to be known, what sort of obstacles await Rukia and Byakuya in this story of a beauty who wins the heart of a beast? Please enjoy the newest chapter of, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :D**_

_**Reminder: Remember I don't own Bleach or the characters, so please excuse my writing if the characters are out of character. Even my couple matches many be a bit hard to imagine, but really it's the only way to make my story work well. Once again, I hope you enjoy my new story! :D**_

_**A Cherry Blossom Forever After**_

_***~Chapter Five: A New Home in Karakura Town~***_

The morning of the Ukitake family's big move to Karakura Town came swiftly by, and as Jushiro, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia were packing...all their minds could think about was how they were going to cope in their new home and lifestyle.

Jushiro didn't think their moving to a new place was a total loss, even if it was going to be a huge change for him and his daughters. After all, having a home with a different new background then his usual lifestyle was better than having no home at all, and Jushiro really wanted what was best for his three beloved daughters.

Rangiku wasn't too afraid to move to Karakura Town, especially since Gin was coming along to live with her and her family, since they were to be married soon. Even though she was ecstatic to have Gin live with her, Rangiku was a bit saddened when he told Shunsui that he would no longer be working for him, once he left with her to Karakura Town. Shunsui was a bit sad and disappointed that Gin was leaving the "Flower Budding Pub," but he still wished the best of happiness to the soon to be married couple.

Orihime was the only one who felt the nervousness to move to Karakura Town, since she was so use to the Seireitei's familiar surroundings. However, even though Orihime was a bit scared, that wasn't going to stop her from being strong for her family. Orihime knew that once she got acquainted with the new lifestyle, she'll slowly start to warm up to her brand new home, and maybe even love it more than her former home.

Rukia loved the fact that her family was going to have a new place to call home, but she was more happier to know that her family's prayers were finally being answered. After their many misfortunes, Rukia and her family had hoped that one day they would find happiness again...and now, here they were moving to a new place that may hold the happiness that they've been waiting for.

As soon as they were done packing their things, the Ukitake family thanked Shunsui for his generous hospitality and friendship, and with the exception of Gin's thanks for his wonderful years of working at Shunsui's "Flower Budding Pub," the Ukitake's were on their way towards the Seireitei's entrance gate.

"Wow," said Gin with warm smile as he and the Ukitake family were heading to the Seireitei gate, "Master Shunsui was really thoughtful to give us this horse and wagon for our journey to Karakura Town."

Before they left the "Flower Budding Pub," Shunsui told the Ukitake family that he had a going away present for them, and it turned out to be a beautiful chestnut horse hooked to a rather large wooden wagon. Shunsui assumed that the trip from the Seireitei to Karakura Town was going to be a long journey, so he organized the horse and wagon to safely transport the Ukitake family to Karakura Town.

"I shall never forget Master Shunsui's kindness," said Gin with a half happy and half sad smile as he rode the chestnut colored horse while Jushiro, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia rode in the wagon.

"Even as we were kids growing up, Shunsui had a large heart," said Jushiro with a wistful smile as he recalled his childhood days with Shunsui...he was really going to miss his old childhood friend.

"I'm sorry you had to leave your job behind," Orihime told Gin with a sympathetic smile, "Especially when it had a manager as big hearted and kind as Shunsui."

Gin smiled with empathy and said to the Ukitake family, "I will truly treasure the memory of working for Master Shunsui, but he would of wanted me to be happy," he added with a chuckle, "Besides, he seemed really overjoyed with his new employee, Nanao, and now she's going to have the honor of dealing with crazy old Master Shunsui."

The Ukitake family and Gin laughed merrily, but their laughter subsided...when they finally arrived at the Seireitei entrance gate.

As the gigantic golden gates of the Seireitei began to slowly open, Jushiro, Rangiku, Orihime, Rukia, and Gin were anxiously wrapping their minds around the fact that after the gates opened..._their new life was to begin_.

Once the gates opened all the way, Gin guided the horse out of the Seireitei, with the Ukitake family following behind in the wagon; and as soon as they were outside of the Seireitei, they continued to ride on towards Karakura Town...with none of them looking back.

Traveling to the south country side to get to their destination proved to be long, perilous, and interesting for the Ukitake family; as they passed by many wonderful places, like a huge grassy plain filled with beautiful wildflowers, rocky mountain terrains, and they even passed by a thick forest that had patches of white snow covering the ground and treetops.

Since the trip to Karakura Town took at least a couple of weeks to get to from the Seireitei, the Ukitake family were thankful to have enough provisions for themselves and their two animals...their horse, Kuri (Japanese word for: chestnut,) and their white rabbit, Chappy, whom now belongs to Rukia; since she's always had a love for rabbits. The journey to Karakura Town also proved to be dangerous and rough as well, sometimes the Ukitake family would find themselves trapped in a small blizzard or sandstorm; but they could always take shelter in a few small villages before continuing on their way.

Five weeks went by, and finally after days of having aching saddle sores, tired muscles, and a few minor bruises on their bodies..._the Ukitake family finally arrived in Karakura Town_.

Karakura Town was a quiet little village, made up of a few houses, inns, pubs, shops, farms, and work houses. The village seemed to depend on their reliable sources in order to ensure their survival, the houses, inns, and pubs produced homes for the people, the shops produced different imported cloths to make into clothes and different types of pottery, silverware, furniture, and rugs, the farms produced the food with the help of their animals, cows, chickens, pigs, horses, goats, and sheep, and their crops filled with corn, grain, apple orchards, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, and lettuce, and the work houses held different types of jobs for those who worked in the village, seamstresses, blacksmiths, carpenters, talors, and sometimes people would even go work at the farms.

As the Ukitake family took in the surroundings of their new hometown, Gin rode Kuri to a nearby house that seemed to be a little more well furbished and large than the other houses in Karakura Town.

"Lady Kukaku," Gin called out as he and the Ukitake family waited patiently outside of the house, "I've brought the family who's going to live in that cottage you mentioned."

No sooner had Gin called out, a youthful young woman with green eyes, long messy black hair, and wearing a white skirt and a provocative red robe which exposed her breasts, came out of the house to greet the new owners of her cottage.

Gin mounted down from Kuri's back, bowed to Lady Kukaku, and told her with a smile, "It's great to see you again Lady Kukaku, you have my thanks for giving your spare cottage to the Ukitake's."

As Kukaku made her way towards the Ukitake family, she said as she took a puff out of her pipe and blew some smoke out of her mouth, "I'll be the judge of whether the family is worthy to live in my cottage or not."

When Kukaku roved her eyes over the Ukitake family, she thought they were a sorry sight to behold; each one of them had a couple of small bruises on their arms, their clothes were wrinkled and smelly, and their hair was either tangled, filled with dust, or both. Despite their miserable appearance, Kukaku couldn't help but feel a tinge of pity overwhelm her heart as she stared into the faces of each Ukitake. The father Jushiro and his three daughters, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia, no matter which face Kukaku looked into, she always saw the same thing which was hidden in each of their eyes..._sadness_.

Swallowing the bitterness that was developing in her throat, Kukaku took a deep breath and told the Ukitake family with a smile, "It's nice to meet all of you, I'm Lady Kukaku, and since you're going to live in my cottage; that makes me your new landlord."

As Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia were happily hugging each other, Jushiro asked Kukaku with a jovial smile, "You mean, me and my daughters can live in your cottage?"

Kukaku rolled her eyes and said to Jushiro as she mounted a white stallion that was being kept in a nearby stable, "Of course, didn't you hear me the first time; so follow me, and I'll take you to the cottage."

Gin remounted on Kuri's back, and then followed Kukaku down a dusty road, which was surrounded by a beautiful meadow filled with large grass, various berry bushes, and different types of wildflowers.

Once Kukaku grabbed her horse's reins and came to a halt, she told the Ukitake family while pointing out into the distance, "There's your new cottage."

The Ukitake family leaned over the right side of the wagon, and took in their new home. It was a quaint little cottage, made out of weather-brown bricks with a white fence surrounding it, a medium sized wooden shed was placed on the right side of the house, and in the back of the cottage was a fairly large garden filled with newly sprouted plants and vegetables, a few flower beds, and placed in the middle of the garden was a small fountain filled with water and a few lilypads.

"It's so cute," Orihime cooed as she stared at the cottage with starry eyes while getting out of the wagon, "It looks just like a dollhouse, but bigger."

Rangiku stepped out of the wagon to follow Orihime, with Gin's help of course, and said with a smile as she stared at the cottage too, "It does seem like a cosy little cottage, and not bad from the outside either."

Jushiro asked Rukia with a warm smile, as they were led to the cottage's front door by Kukaku, "Do you think we can make the most of this cottage, my little Rukia?"

Rukia smiled back at Jushiro, and told him as Kukaku was opening the cottage door with an old rusty key, "Yes father, we are all in this together, and I know we'll get use to our new lifestyle in no time."

Jushiro chuckled and said to Rukia as he embraced her in a loving hug, "My darling Beauty, you always were the sharpest tool in the Ukitake shed."

Rukia felt a tinge of anger and annoyance at the sound of her "hated nickname," but she was so overjoyed to see her new home, that she let that mentioning of her nickname slide, besides, she never did like to be mad at her father for something as silly as calling her by her nickname...even if it was something she loathed.

Once Kukaku opened the cottage door, she told the Ukitake family with a jubilant expression on her face, "Come in and check out the inside of the cottage."

When the Ukitake family went inside of the cottage for the first, they could see that it was pretty well built. The cottage was shaped like a rectangle, the dividing wall cut the first floor into two square rooms, the kitchen was at the back with a parlour up front...much like their old home, fireplaces were placed into each room from a central chimney, the upstairs hall ran a half short length with three bedrooms on either side, and at the end of the hall was a ladder which led to a small doorway frame leading to a decent sized attic with the sloped roof making the room look triangular shaped. All in all, the cottage was decent, beautifully cleaned with no sign of dust or cobwebs, and the floors were waxed to perfection.

As the Ukitake family began to bring their belongings inside the cottage, Jushiro met Kukaku outside as she began to remount her horse, and told her with a warm rejoicing smile before she was about to take her leave, "I can't thank you enough for helping me and my daughters start a new life, this home was the first step of helping us get back on track after facing so many unfortunate events...and all I can say is that I'm eternally grateful to you, Lady Kukaku."

Kukaku slightly blushed as she felt the warmth overwhelm her heart after Jushiro gave his thanks, and said to him as she rode off towards Karakura Town, feeling a tad bit feverishly, "Just so long as you take care of my cottage, then I'll have no regrets whatsoever."

Once Jushiro went back into the cottage, their belongings were already unpacked; and soon, the Ukitake family, including Gin, began to organize the cottage to their liking..._until finally, the cottage felt like home_.

After getting the cottage organized, there was the matter of choosing who was getting which room in the house; one of the bedrooms was bigger than the others, which was soon to be Jushiro's room, the last two bedrooms were pretty small, and since there were four more people, Rangiku, Orihime, Rukia, and Gin, in the household, it was going to be difficult to figure out who was going to claim the last two rooms.

"Since this is your new home," Gin told the Ukitake family with a smile, "You three girls can have the two rooms, one will get a room all to herself and the other two will share the other room."

"But what about you, Gin," Rangiku asked Gin with a concerned look on her face, "You were the one who helped us get this cottage in the first place."

"Don't worry, Rangiku," Gin reassured Rangiku as he placed his hands on her shoulders, "I'll ride Kuri back to Karakura Town and rent a room at one of their inns, then come back in the morning."

"But its already late," Orihime said to Gin as she pointed out the kitchen window, which held a magnificent view of the sun setting from the sky, "You can't go back to Karakura Town this late at night."

"I can add another bedroom to the cottage, with Kukaku's permission of course, but it will take some time," Jushiro said to Gin as he began to pinpoint the perfect place to add another bedroom, "I'll make it so that the room is large enough for you and Rangiku, since the two of you are going to be married soon," then he added with a playful cheeky smile, "But then, where will my grandchildren sleep?"

As Gin and Rangiku began to blush a dark red color from Jushiro's remark, Rukia came up with a proper solution as she explained to her family with a warm smile, "Gin came have one of the rooms, while Rangiku and Orihime share the other. Once the other bedroom is added to the cottage, Gin and Rangiku can move into that room, while the empty bedroom can become the future baby's room."

"But my dear," Jushiro asked Rukia after hearing her solution, "Where will you sleep?"

Rukia proudly smiled with triumph and told her family, "As we were unpacking, I took in the three rooms and knew we were going to have a hard time figuring out who was getting which bedroom. Then, when Kukaku showed us the attic, I figured it would make a nice room. So, I've decided to make the attic my bedroom."

"Are you sure," Gin asked Rukia as she picked up a leather satchel and headed towards the ladder?

Rukia giggled and replied to her family as she began to climb the ladder up to her new attic room, "I'm afraid I have no choice, as we were unpacking...I already began to turn the attic into my bedroom."

As Rukia climbed the ladder to get to her attic bedroom, Jushiro laughed as he said to her, "I guess there's no point in stopping you, if you're happy in your new bedroom; then we're just gonna have to accept it, sleep well my little Rukia."

Rukia smiled at her family, and told them before entering her bedroom, "Goodnight everyone."

And the last thing Rukia saw before closing the attic's doorway frame, was her family, Jushiro, Rangiku, Orihime, and Gin, as they all went into their respective rooms...with a blissful smile on each of their faces.

Rukia happily took in her new attic bedroom, and proposed that it was the perfect room for her; her bed fit perfectly in the corner to her right, her bookself filled with books was placed alongside the wall next to her bed, and her rabbit Chappy was placed on a small drawer that was placed on the right side of her bed. Rukia needed to remember to ask her father Jushiro to build Chappy a proper home, maybe outside in the garden.

However, the real reason as to why Rukia chose the attic as her bedroom, was because of the wonderful view outside the attics window. The attic window was slightly wide, and outside, Rukia could see the garden, the meadow, and the small riverbend that seemed to come from the forest in the far off distance. Rukia found this sight to be breathtaking, but none of the sights were as breathtaking as..._the forest_.

Rukia couldn't explain why, but looking at the forest seemed to overwhelm her in a certain heavenly warmth that she couldn't describe. One thing was for sure though..._something about that forest was drawing Rukia to it, as if it held a certain mystery or powerful enchantment_.

As sleep was coming over Rukia, she still kept her eyes on the beautiful mysterious forest, until she fell into a deep sleep.

_**That's the end of the fifth chapter to, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :) Well, it looks like the Ukitake family have finally reached Karakura Town. And with the help of Kukaku and Gin, the Ukitake's have finally settled into a house. Now that they have a cottage to live in, it's now time for the Ukitake family to adjust to their new lifestyle? Will the Ukitake's take to the new lifestyle with flying colors? Or has their wealthy life got the better of them? What is it about the forest that attracts Rukia to it? Is it a forest shrouded in mystery? Or is the forest shrouded in an enchantment? This mystery brings us one step closer to the real mystery behind the forest, and to Rukia's once in a lifetime journey. I'll try to manage as much as I can to update those stories, as well during my upcoming college term. **__**On that note, please continue to read, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" Farewell my readers! :) **_


	6. Jushiro's Upcoming Journey

_**Hello my beloved readers! :) Now that I'm done with my summer college term, I've been able to update my fanfiction stories a lot sooner than usual. Now that the Ukitake family has found a new home in Karakura Town, it's time to see if they can cope in their new lifestyle. However, since the Ukitake family has now made a new start for themselves...I'm only two chapters away from updating the fateful meeting between the beauty and the beast, so bear with me until then. Right now, I'm focusing on the Ukitake family's lifestyle, but it's soon gonna come to a hold; since Jushiro has an upcoming journey ahead of him? What wonders behold Jushiro on his journey? Aside from that, there is the mysterious case of the forest which fills Rukia's heart with a strange, yet **__**heavenly warmth. What magical aura surrounds that forest, and what does it have to do with Rukia? In the upcoming two chapters, you may find the answers that you seek. Even though the major Beauty and the Beast events are going to be known, what sort of obstacles await Rukia and Byakuya in this story of a beauty...who wins the heart of a beast? Please enjoy the newest chapter of, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :D**_

_**Reminder: Remember I don't own Bleach or the characters, so please excuse my writing if the characters are out of character. Even my couple matches many be a bit hard to imagine, but really it's the only way to make my story work well. Once again, I hope you enjoy my new story! :D**_

_**A Cherry Blossom Forever After**_

_***~Chapter Six: Jushiro's Upcoming Journey~***_

The last five weeks in Karakura Town seemed to be in the Ukitake family's favor, as they began to adjust to their new lifestyle.

As soon as the Ukitake family got comfortable in their new cottage home, there was the matter of learning how to go through everyday life living in a new place. Fortunately, that wasn't too big of a problem. Jushiro and Gin decided to go to work in town as blacksmiths, and since they were good friends with Kukaku, she pulled a few strings, put out a good word for them, and soon the two men were hired to work in the best blacksmiths shop in all of Karakura Town. At the cottage, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia divided the housework between them; Rangiku would do the laundry and cook dinner, Orihime would wash the dishes and sweep the floors, and Rukia would take care of the gardening and feed their horse, Kuri, and her rabbit, Chappy, (who now had a small wooden home in the garden, which was surrounded by fence wire.)

One night, as the Ukitake family was preparing for dinner, Gin asked the Ukitake's with a smile as he watched Rangiku stir the pot of potatoes, "So, since we've been here for about five weeks, I'm just wondering how you guys are faring with your new home?"

Jushiro chuckled and said as he placed a white table cloth over their wooden table, "I'll admit, I had my doubts at first, but after getting use to this new environment...it's finally starting to feel like home to me."

Orihime giggled and replied as she started to set a few plates on the table, "I guess father's not the only one who's starting to like this place."

Rangiku smiled and said as she placed a couple of sliced onions in the pot of potatoes, "I'm also starting to get use to this new life," she blushed and added as she gazed lovingly at Gin, "I think this place will be perfect for our wedding."

Gin smiled back at Rangiku, and told her, "I agree as well, dearest."

Once the Ukitake family sat down for dinner, Rukia couldn't help but beam happily at her beloved family; her father Jushiro and her soon to be brother-in-law Gin, were laughing amongst themselves, and Rangiku asking Orihime about the wedding dress, which her sister kindly offered to sew for her. After all the hardships, new experiences, and getting use to a different lifestyle...Rukia was overjoyed to see her family going back to their old jovial selves again.

After dinner and spending some time together in their parlour, the Ukitake family decided to retire early...since tomorrow was going to be a big day for all of them.

As the sun was setting from the sky, Rukia sat on her bed, while once again, staring at the forest from her attic window. Staring endlessly at the beautiful mysterious forest, became a normal routine for Rukia; as usual, she would get ready for bed, brush her teeth and hair, and then, before she went to sleep, she would spend countless hours staring at the forest..._with the thought of wondering if the forest and her heart were connected somehow_. Rukia didn't understand why, but every time she stared into the forest, her heart would race at a faster pace..._as if something in that forest was waiting for her_. After pondering her thoughts of the many possible things that was within the forest, Rukia felt the sleepiness overcome her; and soon she fell into a deep sleep, and as usual...began to dream about the mysterious forest outside her window.

The next morning came in all its sunny and blue sky glory, it was a beautiful day...for Gin and Rangiku's wedding.

The wedding ceremony was to take place in the cottage parlour, so Jushiro, Kukaku, and Kukaku's guards Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko were busy fixing the parlour up to be suitable for the wedding.

As soon as the guests arrived, the wedding began to start. As Gin waited by the parlours fireplace, looking rather handsome in his traditional black wedding robes, the music, (played by three fiddlers,) filled the room as Orihime and Rukia walked down the parlours aisle in their beautiful light blue bridesmaids robes. Finally, after the guests rose from their chairs; walking down the aisle with her arm around her father Jushiro's arm...was Rangiku.

It didn't take too long for Rangiku to be the most beautiful bride Karakura Town's ever seen; she wore pure white robes with golden trims, a lovely golden necklace with a single diamond jewel in the middle, (which she promised her mother Unohana she'd wear when she and Gin got married,) and she had a couple of white flowers in her hair, (which were picked from their garden.)

The wedding ceremony was heartwarming as Gin and Rangiku pledged their love to one another as man and wife, and once the ceremony was over, the two newlyweds led their guests to the front of their cottage for a feast in their honor. Outside of the cottage, people were merrily having a good time either dancing, laughing, or eating the large banquet of different types of bread, sweet butter, pies, fruits, jellies, roasted meats, and punch. And whether they were laughing at their friends jokes, dancing with everyone, and thanking them for their best wishes...Gin and Rangiku couldn't keep their eyes off each other.

After the wedding day, Jushiro and his new son-in-law Gin, began to add the larger bedroom in the cottage; which was soon to be his and Rangiku's room. The bedroom was completed two months later, along with the joyful news of Rangiku expecting a baby. After the larger bedroom was built in, Jushiro and Gin connected it with the bedroom which was soon to be the baby's room; while Orihime and Rukia began to decorate the room to suit their new little family member.

Ten months later, Rangiku surprised everyone by giving birth to twins; a girl and a boy. The girl, who was born first, was named Hana; after Rangiku's mother, Unohana, and the boy was named Simmon; since Rangiku and Gin shared their first kiss under a persimmon tree. Hana was a healthy, happy baby, with silver hair like her father, Gin's, and blue eyes like her mother, Rangiku's. Simmon was also a healthy, happy baby, who looked just like Rangiku, inheriting her orange blonde hair and blue eyes. Out of the two twins, Simmon was more of a crybaby than his sister Hana, who was usually giggly and cheerful. However, no matter how different their twins were, Gin and Rangiku loved Hana and Simmon more than life itself...and no two parents could've been more happier that day.

Five more weeks followed, and everything seemed complete for the Ukitake family...until Kukaku visited the Ukitake's with a message for Jushiro.

The Ukitake family and the four Ichimaru's, Gin, his new wife Rangiku, and their two babies Hana and Simmon, were settling down for dinner; with Jushiro, Gin, and Rukia setting up the table, while Rangiku and Orihime fed the babies. During that time, Kukaku arrived with a sealed letter for Jushiro...the letter claimed that he failed to sign a document, proclaiming that his former shipment yard was under new management. Wanting to deal with this problem right away, Jushiro decided to head back to the Seireitei as soon as possible. However, before he left, Jushiro asked his family if there was anything he could bring them from the Seireitei.

"I would like ropes made of white pearls and golden rings with rubies, after all, I'll need something elegant to wear when the King and Queen arrive," joked Orihime with a bright smile as the family began to laugh.

"Don't forget diamond earrings and emerald necklaces," Rangiku added to the joke, but she got serious when she told Jushiro with a warm smile, "No, I'd rather you bring back some clothes for Hana and Simmon."

Jushiro turned his attention to Rukia, and asked her with a smile, "And what can I bring back for you, my little Rukia?"

Rukia smiled back at her father, and told Jushiro with an honest heart and smile, "My only wish is for you to return home safely."

"Nonsense child," Jushiro said to Rukia as he embraced her in a warm loving hug, "My daughters deserve the best, or at least...something that will make them happy."

Thinking about her old home, there was only one thing that made Rukia truly happy...and it was a long shot, but she knew her father wouldn't leave without wondering what him could bring her when he came back from the Seireitei.

"Well," Rukia told Jushiro with a jovial smile, "I do miss the cherry blossom trees that were growing in our old garden. Maybe you can bring back some cherry blossom seeds for me, that way, I can instantly plant them when you return home."

Satisfied with Rukia's gift of cherry blossom seeds, Jushiro rushed into his bedroom to pack for his upcoming journey; and after he was done, he raced back downstairs, kissed his daughters good-bye, and after mounting on Kuri's back, he left to the Seireitei..._unbeknownst_ _of the upcoming wonders that await him on his journey_.

_**That's the end of the sixth chapter to "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :) (Giggle) This is it my readers, the journey which will begin an even bigger journey for Rukia. Now that Jushiro has left to the Seireitei, what sort of wonders will he encounter? What does Jushiro's journey have to do with Rukia's upcoming journey? This mystery brings us one step closer to the real mystery behind the forest, and to Rukia once in a lifetime journey. This is going to be the journey we've all been waiting for, and it's all going to happen after the next chapter. So keep in mind that after my next chapter comes, the meeting between the beauty and the mysterious beast...will soon be upon this fanfiction story. I'll try to manage as much as I can to update those stories, even during my upcoming college term. **__**On that note, please continue to read, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" Farewell my readers! :) **_


	7. The Encounter with the Beast

_**Hello my beloved readers! :) Geez, I thought that taking a break from college was going to help me update my stories earlier...yet I totally skipped the fact that I still have to deal with a lot of work besides my schooling. Despite my work, I've updated this fanfiction story as soon as I could...and now that saying "Good things come to those who wait" has played a big roll on this chapter. This is the moment you've all been waiting for, the time has come to finally introduce the other main character in this fanfiction story...The Beast. What part will the Beast have in this fanfiction story? See how Jushiro meets this all powerful Beast, and his many magical wonders. Along with their encounter, what will the Beast ask of Jushiro? Oh, and keep this in mind...for now, I'm gonna write Byakuya as "Beast," because his name won't be known to Rukia until a couple more chapters; so try not to be too disappointed. Besides, Byakuya introducing himself to Rukia by name will increase their chances of becoming closer...and that's what I'm aiming for in my story. **__**Even though the major Beauty and the Beast events are going to be known, what sort of obstacles await Rukia and Byakuya in this story of a beauty...who wins the heart of a beast? Please enjoy the newest chapter of, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :D**_

_**Reminder: Remember, I don't own Bleach or the characters, so please excuse my writing if the characters are out of character, personality, or any of their characteristics. Even my couple matches many be a bit hard to imagine, but really, it's the only way to make my story work well. Once again, I hope you enjoy my new story! :D**_

_**A Cherry Blossom Forever After**_

_***~Chapter Seven: Jushiro's Magical Tale...The Encounter with the Beast~***_

Five weeks had passed since Jushiro left on his journey to the Seireitei, and by then the autumn breeze in Karakura Town was soon covered in an endless blanket of sparkling white snow.

Finally, at the end of the fifth week...Jushiro returned.

It was on a cold night, and Gin was just about to head outside and fetch some more firewood to put in their parlour fireplace; but as he opened the front door...there was Jushiro, standing on the threshold. Since Rukia was busy cooking dinner and Orihime was helping Rangiku feed the babies, Gin decided that he would be the first to welcome his father-in-law back home. However, something must've went terribly wrong, since Jushiro staggered himself forwards and nearly fell. Reacting quickly, Gin moved forwards and caught Jushiro in his arms; and as he carried him to the parlour, he yelled out to Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia...telling them to come to the parlour immediately.

Hearing the urgency in Gin's voice, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia scurried from the kitchen to the parlour; and as they arrived in the parlour, they were shocked and horrified to see their father unconscious in Gin's arms.

Once Gin sat Jushiro in a wooden chair that was placed by the fire, the three worried daughters rushed to be by their father's side, with Rangiku standing on the left side of him, Orihime taking the right side, and Rukia kneeling down in front on him. As Gin went to retrieve Hana and Simmon from the kitchen, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia tried to comfort their unconscious father until he woke up from his deep slumber.

However, after taking a closer look at their father's state, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia were surprised to see that Jushiro wasn't unconscious...instead, he looked completely petrified with his skin as pale and white as a ghost, and eyes as wide as saucers.

Breaking the silence, Rukia gently caressed her father's right hand and asked Jushiro with a worried expression on her face, "Papa, are you ok?"

Jushiro slowly turned to face Rukia, his eyes softened at the sight of his youngest daughter, and he quietly said to her with a small smile as he squeezed her hand, "Rukia, my little Beauty, it brings me such joy to see you after my long..._journey_."

Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia noticed that Jushiro slightly trembled when he said the word "journey," but they soon forgot about his tiny gesture when he slowly rose from his chair, held out a shaky hand to Rukia, and softly told her in a hoarse voice, "Come with me, my child, I have something I want to show you."

After witnessing the events that have happened the moment Jushiro returned home, Rukia was a little hesitant at first; but she soon found herself slowly placing her trembling hand in her father's hand, and as he entwined his cold fingers around her warm hand, he led her to the back of their cottage..._and stopped as they entered their garden_.

With Rangiku, Orihime, and Gin (who carried Hana and Simmon in each arm,) following close by, Jushiro firmly stood his ground as he let Rukia take in the sight before her. Jushiro, however, kept his eyes to the ground; as if he was afraid to look up at the very item..._that changed his life_.

Once they entered their garden, Rukia wondered why her father, Jushiro, brought her there...especially when it was already dark out and the air was crisped with a cold breeze. However, as soon as she beheld the sight of her garden, Rukia could of sworn that the last of her breath was taken away by the breeze..._the moment she laid her eyes on the item that her father wanted her to see_. And even though her gaze stayed solely on the item, Rukia knew that if she turned to see the faces of Rangiku, Orihime, and Gin; they would probably be as awestrucked as she was..._when she saw what was in their garden_.

In the middle of the Ukitake's garden, surrounded by two lit up lanterns (in order to see it in the dark of the night,)..._was a cherry blossom tree_. However, it didn't seem like any ordinary cherry blossom tree, since this one was a little taller; and the cherry blossom flowers were more beautiful than ever. The petals of the cherry blossom flowers were so pink and pure, that they seemed to twinkle like stars in the lanterns light, and when the cold wind blew passed the flowers, it was as if the petals were dancing in the breeze...yet they didn't fall from the tree during impact. The sight of the beautiful cherry blossom tree in their garden, left Rukia utterly speechless; never in her life had she seen a cherry blossom tree...with so much elegance and beauty.

"...Do you like it, Beauty," Jushiro asked Rukia as he finally turned his attention to the magnificent cherry blossom tree, which seemed to illuminate their garden with its ravishing beauty?

"Father, I love it," Rukia told Jushiro as she dreamily stared at the cherry blossom tree; and after that, she embraced her father in a loving hug, whispered a "thank you," to him, and then walked towards the cherry blossom tree.

As Rangiku and Orihime followed Rukia to see the cherry blossom tree up close, Gin stayed behind with Jushiro and said to him with a chuckle as he admired the trees appearance as well, "Wow, when Rukia asked for some cherry blossom seeds, I didn't think you would bring back an entire tree...must've cost you an arm and a leg just to bring it here."

Jushiro stared at the cherry blossom tree as if the tree had put him under a trance, and whispered to himself with a melancholy tone in his voice, "_Believe me...it cost so much more than that_."

After taking in the sight of the beautiful cherry blossom tree in their garden, Jushiro, Gin, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia returned to the parlour; where Jushiro almost immediately went back to his petrified state as he sat himself down in the wooden chair by the fire.

As Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia gathered around him like they did before, and Gin retreating upstairs to put Hana and Simmon to sleep; Jushiro couldn't help but let out a loud sob as he sadly cried, "Please, forgive me."

Shocked and surprised by Jushiro's outburst, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia placed their hands over their father's, and whispered words of comfort in order to put his mind at ease.

"Father, please," Rangiku asked Jushiro gently as she gazed at her father with worried eyes, "What has become of you since you left us?"

Jushiro shook his head and told Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia as his body began to tremble, "There's too much to tell," Jushiro looked frail and almost terrified as he added with heavy and sunken eyes, "I'll tell you my story in the morning..._for I do not want to relive such a moment_."

"Come on, Papa," Orihime tried desperately to convince Jushiro to tell them his story, "We won't know of your journey unless you tell us right this minute."

"Maybe we can help," Rukia said to Jushiro as she gave him a reassuring smile while keeping her hands wrapped around his hands.

At that moment, Gin came into the parlour and told Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia in a soft cheerful voice, which he hoped would lighten up the atmosphere in the parlour, "Before we hear father's story, maybe you'd like to see the gifts he brought back."

_Gifts_, Jushiro thought confusedly,_ I didn't bring that much back with me, just a couple of clothes and a fair amount of_ _money_, but as soon as Gin handed him a saddle bag, he was utterly surprised when he saw that Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia were also holding saddle bags; which was completely strange...considering the fact that he only took one saddle bag with him on his journey back to the Seireitei.

Once Jushiro, Rangiku, Orihime, and Rukia had one saddle bag in hand, they decided to take turns opening them; with Jushiro being the first to open his. Jushiro was a bit hesitant and afraid to open his saddle bag, but he soon found himself unbuckling the clasp, and finally, after taking a deep breath...he opened up his saddle bag. Inside Jushiro's saddle bag were two dozen wax candles of the finest caliber, a linen tablecloth with delicate lace on the edges, several bottles of rare emported wine and brandy, a silver corkscrew decorated with rubies, a polished wooden box filled with gold, silver, copper, and brass coins, and at the very bottom was a perfectly handcrafted silver cape with golden trims on the edges.

Rangiku opened her saddle bag next. Inside Rangiku's bag was also a polished wooden box, except it had an R engraved on the lid. Inside the box, was a pair of sparkling teardrop diamond earrings, five necklaces made entirely out of jade emeralds, six sapphire jeweled bracelets, and a golden ring with an aquamarine jewel in the middle surrounded by tiny diamonds. At the bottom of the bag was a soft leather pouch, which was wrapped around a carving knife with an ivory handle that was cut into the shape of a snake with rubies for eyes (this gift was obviously for Gin,) and underneath the knife were twenty pairs of baby's clothes (ten for Hana and ten for Simmon respectively.)

The next one to open her saddle bag was Orihime. Inside Orihime's bag was a polished wooden box also, except it had an O engraved on the lid. Inside the box, were ropes made entirely out of pure white pearls, four garnet jeweled bracelets, a pair of earrings shaped like roses with a single ruby in the middle of each one, and a golden ring that was similar to Rangiku's ring, except it had a ruby jewel in the middle. At the bottom of the bag was a large brown leather book titled "The Book of Culinary Recipes" and the pages were filled with all kinds of rare and delicious recipes, including ones that were completely unknown to Orihime.

Finally, it was Rukia's turn to open her saddle bag. Like her sister's before her, there was also a polished wooden box in Rukia's bag; but unlike their boxes, hers had a cute bunny engraved on the lid. Inside the box, was a silver chained necklace with the hanging feature being a snowflake made entirely out of diamond, a pair of amethyst dangle earrings shaped like cherry blossom flowers, and a silver ring with a cherry blossom flower on top, which was decorated in pink opal jewels. At the bottom of the bag was a beautifully handcrafted glass snow globe, with a long vertical glass case; and inside was a figure of a cherry blossom tree, and like all snow globes, it had fake white flakes. Even though the snow globe didn't have water inside, it didn't seem to matter, because when Rukia shook the glass case; all the white flakes surrounded the cherry blossom tree in a beautiful dance of their own...as if the fake snow and cherry blossom tree were made for each other. Despite not having water to keep the flakes scattering around the figure for a while, the fake snow continued to scatter around the cherry blossom tree regardless..._the scenery of the fake snow surrounding the cherry blossom tree almost seemed real and alive_. Like her cherry blossom tree in the garden, the glass snow globe took Rukia's breath away; she loved both her tree and her snow globe, and after receiving such beautiful gifts she began to wonder how her father, Jushiro, could come across such affluent luxurious items...let alone how he managed to bring them back with him.

Rukia wasn't the only one with that question in mind, since Rangiku, Orihime, and Gin were also taken back and awestrucked by the many gifts they received; and soon, they all turned their attention back to Jushiro...who was more surprised to see the many clothes, jewelry, and other various items than his three daughters and son-in-law.

Finally, without any further delay...Jushiro decided to tell "_his story"_ to his family.

_Jushiro's journey back to the Seireitei lasted about three weeks, and upon his arrival; the big city suddenly felt all too unfamiliar...he thought that living in the country was beginning to take its toll on him. _

_As he arrived at his former shipment yard, Jushiro met the new owner, along with the former captain that use to handle all his shipments for him. Finally, after finishing a couple of unfinished business, Jushiro signed the document; which gave the new owner legal rights to the shipment yard. _

_Once he was done signing the document, Jushiro immediately stocked up on a few supplies, visited his old friend Shunsui for a while, and finally he began to head back to Karakura Town; anxious to see his family again. _

_On his way back to Karakura Town, snow began to fall gently over the horizon; until suddenly, Jushiro found himself caught in a blizzard. As soon as the blizzard subsided, Jushiro could see that the snow covered everything in his path...and he soon realized that he was lost. _

_A whole hour passed as Jushiro continued his search of finding a way out of the forest...until he came across a narrow path. This path seemed strange to Jushiro as he thought about the previous blizzard he was caught in; if the blizzard blew in his direction, then why was the path the only thing...that was not covered in snow? _

_Despite his uncertainty, Jushiro took the mysterious path anyway; thinking that he couldn't get any more lost than he was at that moment._

_The further down he went on that path, the more wider and less snowy it became; until Jushiro thought that maybe this path could finally lead him back home to his beloved family...however, he thought wrong. _

_The path didn't lead him to Karakura Town, instead it led Jushiro to a great, spiky, hollygrown hedge; that extended on both sides. The path went passed the hedge, until it turned into a road...which led to a dull silver gate. Knowing that he shouldn't trespass beyond the silver gate, Jushiro was about to ride away and try to find another way back home...until the gate silently swung open. _

_As the gate opened by itself, Jushiro felt uneasy as he began to think that the opening gate or whatever was beyond that silver gate...was somehow inviting him inside. So despite his uneasiness and curiosity, Jushiro rode Kuri inside...not knowing of the mysterious secret that lies beyond the gate. _

_Once he went through the gate, right before Jushiro's eyes, was a vast expanse of luscious green land; which was completely strange to him, since he just got caught in a blizzard a while ago, he would've thought that the land would be covered in snow too...yet it stayed green. Not only that, but the weather was mysteriously warmer than that of the cold breezy weather Jushiro encountered on his way back to Karakura Town. _

_Beyond the lands distance, stood a gigantic white castle and its many towers. Jushiro rubbed his eyes, in case the vast green land and castle before him were merely mirages, but as he slowly opened his eyes he saw that the land and castle were still in front of him; and at that moment, he knew he wasn't dreaming...the land and castle proved to be real. _

_Jushiro rode his horse Kuri to the far side of the castle, until he came across a beautiful ornamental garden, with rocks, hedges, lanterns standing on black and silver carving posts, white marble benches that surrounded a fountain which took on the shape of a monkey with a snake in its fists, and different types of flowers blooming everywhere. Once again, Jushiro tried to tell himself that this was some trick of fatigue...but the floral scent of the flowers smelled all too heavy and delightful to be a dream. _

_Jushiro rode Kuri through the garden, until he came across a stable...and the moment he approached the first stable door, like the silver gate, it swung open. Inside the stable was fresh litter, hay in a hanging net, a silver basin filled with water, and racks to hang saddles, bridles, and harnesses. _

_Jushiro didn't know how he wandered into such an enchanted place or who inhabited the castle, but he whispered a grateful "Thank you," into the air in general anyway. After Jushiro finished taking off Kuri's saddle and bridle, and hung them on the rack; the horse gave a big loud neigh in relief, before heading over to the net and began to happily chew on some hay. As Jushiro watched Kuri munch on some hay, he was reminded of how hungry he was; and as if someone read his mind or heard his stomach growl, a silver tray stood on a barrel that was placed besides the basin. On the tray was a bowl of steamy hot vegetable soup, a bread roll, a piece of blueberry pie, a cup of cider, and a set of silverware consisting of a spoon, fork, and knife. Like before, Jushiro didn't understand this enchanted place, but he said another, "Thank you," before retrieving the tray of food; and started to eat along with Kuri. As soon as he and Kuri were done eating, Jushiro felt tired from his long journey and hoped that the host of the castle wouldn't mind if he took a short nap in the stable; and then, he fell into a deep sleep. _

_After his rest, Jushiro woke up from his slumber, only to smell a sweet aroma that wafted through the air with its heavenly scent; and as if he was drawn to the smell, Jushiro followed the aroma...to a hidden garden. __Aside from the first garden he came across, Jushiro saw that this garden consisted of one solitary plant...cherry blossom trees. Millions of cherry blossom trees, each perfectly aligned in rows, smelling incredibly sweet, and looking ever so beautiful with their pink flowers._

_Surrounded by the many cherry blossom trees made Jushiro pleased to say the least, because now he could look around the garden floor...and hopefully find some cherry blossom seeds that have fallen from one of the trees. However, no matter how many cherry blossom trees he searched, Jushiro couldn't find a single seed on the ground. All hope seemed to fade away, until Jushiro came across a tiny cherry blossom seedling that was growing in the middle of the garden...and knowing that he could probably take the seedling home by digging and planting it in a pot lifted his spirits, especially since he remembered seeing a tool shed located near the stable. Jushiro rushed out of the hidden garden and towards the shed, inside he was lucky enough to find a pot, trowel, and planting soil; and after gathering up the materials he needed...he went back to the hidden garden. Once he was back inside the hidden garden, Jushiro knelt down, gently dug around the cherry blossom seedling with the trowel, placed the dug up seedling inside the pot, and then surrounded the cherry blossom seedling with some planting soil. After he finished planting the cherry blossom seedling in the pot, Jushiro happily picked the potted seedling up, and could only think about how overjoyed Rukia was going to be when she received the cherry blossom tree she wanted...but at that moment, something was going to change Jushiro's life forever. _

_All of a sudden, there came a loud roar like that of a wild animal; it almost sounded inhuman, so as soon as he heard the roar...Jushiro fearfully turned to the owner of that horrifying sound. Jushiro was absolutely terrified to find that the owner of the roar was a dreadful Beast, who had a black hood-like body, a skeletal face with a pointed nose, and cold red eyes._

_"Who are you to steal my cherry blossom tree, my beloved cherry blossom trees that I hold value above everything else," the Beast asked Jushiro, but his voice sounded like an animals growl than a normal human beings, "After giving you the hospitality of feeding and sheltering you, is this how you repay me...by stealing from me?" _

_Jushiro replied to the Beast in a shaky voice as his equally shaky hands tightly clutched the pot that held the cherry blossom seedling, "Sir, I'm indeed grateful for your fine hospitality, and I humbly beg for your forgiveness. I never imagined that the host who gave me such kind courtesy, would be so offended about me taking so small a souvenir as a cherry blossom seedling." _

_"Those are some mighty fine words," the Beast roared to Jushiro as he strode over to where he was, and Jushiro was so petrified that he could barely move as the monstrous creature walked closer and closer to him, "However, your flattery shall not save you...from the death you deserve." _

_"Alas, sir," Jushiro begged the Beast as he fell to his knees, "Please have mercy, I already had my share of past misfortunes...I cannot bear the thought of another ill misfortune to happen to me and my family." _

_"These misfortunes, along with stealing my cherry blossom tree, seems to have robbed you of your honor; yet that won't save you from a fate worse than-," the Beast bellowed these words harshly at Jushiro, until he suddenly stopped and thought about something for a moment; then he asked Jushiro in a much more softer growl, "Wait, did you say...family?" _

_Jushiro slowly nodded his head, and explained to the Beast, "Yes sir, my three daughters, son-in-law, and two grandchildren. The cherry blossom was for my youngest daughter, Rukia, since she wanted some cherry blossom seeds when I came back from my trip to the Seireitei. Sadly, I couldn't find a single shop in the Seireitei which sold cherry blossom seeds; and I was afraid that Rukia would be really disappointed in me if I failed at keeping my promise. Suddenly, as if by some miracle, I found myself here in your garden...and saw the many cherry blossom trees. Unfortunately, the other trees were already full grown, and therefore I couldn't take them with me. So, when I saw the cherry blossom seedling, I thought I could plant it in a pot and take it back home with me..to give to my little Beauty."_

_"Beauty," the Beast asked Jushiro with a confused look on his face? _

_Even with the Beast standing before him, Jushiro's happiness returned as he told the Beast with a chuckle, "Beauty is my daughter Rukia's nickname, although she isn't quite fond of the name herself-." _

_The Beast interrupted Jushiro as he curiously asked him, "Does the nickname suit your daughter?" _

_Jushiro smiled dreamily as he said to the Beast, "True, Rukia doesn't favor that nickname one bit; but as for me, I think it fits her...perfectly." _

_The Beast pondered his thoughts even more, until he came up with a solution that Jushiro wouldn't forget...for as long as he lived. _

_The Beast cleared his throat and told Jushiro in a deep growly voice, "Very well, I shall spare your life, but on one condition: you must return within a month, so you can either return by yourself and receive the punishment you so rightfully deserve...or you can send your daughter, Rukia, to take your place." _

_"Ah," cried Jushiro fearfully as he said to the Beast, "I cannot do that. You may think of me as a heartless man with no honor, but my heart is so pure that it cannot bear the thought of buying my own life with the life of my own daughter." _

_The Beast chuckled grimly as he explained to Jushiro, "Seeing as how you bravely handled this situation thus far, I will tell you these conditions for your own comfort: First off, I must say that no harm will come to your daughter, and if Rukia should come in your place then she must come here of her own free will; with the promise of leaving the life she knows behind...and accept the fact that she will be separated from her family. Either way, I will have your life...or hers." _

_After the Beast was done explaining the conditions of his horrible compromise, Jushiro couldn't utter a single word...he was left speechless, even when the Beast motioned him to retrieve his horse Kuri and leave. Jushiro was so nervous and fearful of the Beast's words, that he had a hard time mounting his horse. When he did mount, however, Jushiro instantly grabbed Kuri's reins, placed the potted cherry blossom seedling in his saddle bag (courtesy of the Beast, which he allowed Jushiro to take back with him...for Rukia,) and galloped away from the castle...and the Beast. _

_As he drew nearer to the silver gates (which brought him to the Beast's castle,) Jushiro could hear a distinct growl in his mind saying, "Remember, you have only a month. You will find my castle easily, even if you get lost on your way back. Don't even think about hiding from this fate, because if you do I will come and fetch you. Remember your promise, whether it be you or your daughter Rukia...I will be satisfied, none the less."_

_And with those dreary reminders floating around in his head, Jushiro plunged through the silver gate and into the forest once more...confused of whether he will be jovial or miserable to see his family when he got back from his "journey." _

_**That's the end of the seventh chapter to "A Cherry Blossom F**__**orever After!" :) This was the moment you've all been waiting for, and now it's here! So let's welcome the other main character to this fanfiction story...the Beast. Truth be told, I didn't really know what kind of beast form Byakuya should take...so try thinking about the Menos Grande or that shadowy guy from "Spirited Away," that should give you a clear thought of what beast form he's in. Anyway, now we know what has happened between Jushiro and Byakuya. Since Jushiro took something precious from the Beast, the Byakuya wants something precious from him; his own life...or Rukia. Will Rukia agree to this dark deal of the Beast's? Or will this be the last time Jushiro will see his family? Keep in mind that after my next chapter comes, the Beauty (Rukia,) will meet the mysterious Beast (Byakuya.) Also, keep an eye out for more of my Byakuya/Rukia fanfiction stories, along with my other stories; consisting of Pokémon and Digimon. I'll try to manage as much as I can to update those stories during my upcoming college term. **__**On that note, please continue to read, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" Farewell my readers! :) **_


	8. Can't a Beast be Tamed

_**Hello my beloved readers! :) Geez, I thought taking a break from college was going to help update my stories earlier; yet I totally skipped the fact that I still have to deal with a lot of work besides my schooling. On top of that I've had a terrible Thanksgiving, due to the fact that my grandma was in the hospital, so this was practically our first Thanksgiving without her. Despite my work and holiday misery, I've updated this fanfiction story as soon as I could; and that saying "Good things come to those who wait," played a big roll in this chapter. This is the moment you've all been waiting for, the time has come to finally introduce the other main character in this fanfiction story...the Beast. During his journey back from the Seireitei, Jushiro comes across this enchanted castle; which was full of wonders beyond anyone's imagination. However, after taking a cherry blossom seedling from a hidden garden (hoping to bring the tree to Rukia as a gift,) Jushiro meets the "owner," of the castle...a monstrous Beast. As punishment for robbing him of his "precious cherry blossom tree," the Beast came to the decision of taking Jushiro's life...or Rukia's life. Will Jushiro take the Beast's offer, and accept his punishment? Or will Rukia be the one to accept the Beast's offer? Oh, and keep this in mind; for now I'm gonna write Byakuya as "Beast," his name won't be known to Rukia until a couple more chapters, so try not to be too disappointed. Besides, Byakuya introducing himself to Rukia by name will increase their chances of becoming close, and that's what I'm aiming for in my story. **__**Even though the major Beauty and the Beast events are going to be known, what sort of obstacles await Rukia and Byakuya in this story of a beauty...who wins the heart of a beast? Please enjoy the newest chapter of "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :D**_

_**Reminder: Remember, I don't own Bleach or the characters, so please excuse my writing if the characters are out of character, personality, or any other things. Even my couple matches many be a bit hard to imagine, but really, it's the only way to make my story work. Once again, I hope you enjoy my new story! :D**_

_**A Cherry Blossom Forever After**_

_***~Chapter Eight: Can't a Beast be Tamed~***_

___The Beast pondered his thoughts even more, until he came up with a solution that Jushiro wouldn't forget...for as long as he lived. _

_The Beast cleared his throat and told Jushiro in a deep growly voice, "Very well, I shall spare your life, but on one condition: you must return within a month, so you can either return by yourself and receive the punishment you so rightfully deserve...or you can send your daughter, Rukia, to take your place." _

_"Ah," cried Jushiro fearfully as he said to the Beast, "I cannot do that. You may think of me as a heartless man with no honor, but my heart is so pure that it cannot bear the thought of buying my own life with the life of my own daughter." _

___The Beast chuckled grimly as he explained to Jushiro, "Seeing as how you bravely handled this situation thus far, I will tell you these conditions for your own comfort: First off, I must say that no harm will come to your daughter, and if Rukia should come in your place then she must come here of her own free will; with the promise of leaving the life she knows behind...and accept the fact that she will be separated from her family. Either way, I will have your life...or hers." _

___After the Beast was done explaining the conditions of his horrible compromise, Jushiro couldn't utter a single word...he was left speechless, even when the Beast motioned him to retrieve his horse Kuri and leave. Jushiro was so nervous and fearful of the Beast's words, that he had a hard time mounting his horse. When he did mount, however, Jushiro instantly grabbed Kuri's reins, placed the potted cherry blossom seedling in his saddle bag (courtesy of the Beast, which he allowed Jushiro to take back with him...for Rukia,) and galloped away from the castle...and the Beast. _

___As he drew nearer to the silver gates (which brought him to the Beast's castle,) Jushiro could hear a distinct growl in his mind saying, "Remember, you have only a month. You will find my castle easily, even if you get lost on your way back. Don't even think about hiding from this fate, because if you do I will come and fetch you. Remember your promise, whether it be you or your daughter Rukia...I will be satisfied, none the less."_

* * *

After Jushiro finished his story, he hung his head down so that he couldn't look upon the others in the parlour; it was as if he was deeply ashamed of the situation he had gotten himself into...and he was, he truly was.

A few minutes went by and still the parlour was as silent as a grave, the flaming shadows from the fire that was burning in the fireplace seemed to dance wildly; yet the room became as cold as ice the moment Jushiro finished telling his family...of his journey's tale.

No one knew how long the silence lasted, but it ended when Rangiku, Orihime, Rukia, and Gin heard Jushiro's voice say at last, "I couldn't possibly send my innocent daughter to take my place in a situation such as this, there's nothing else for me to do but to go back to the Beast's castle...and meet my fate."

"Oh no," shrieked Rangiku as she began to tremble in Gin's arms, "No one shall go."

"But," Orihime cried as she tried to keep her sanity under control, but couldn't prevent herself from trembling as well, "As much as I loathe this terrifying situation, it can't be helped...didn't this Beast say he'll come regardless if no one returns to his castle?"

"Which is why," came a soft gentle voice in the cold harsh silence, "I shall take father's place."

Shocked and stunned, Jushiro, Rangiku, Orihime, and Gin turned their attention to Rukia, who was sitting alone by the fireplace watching the flames dance, and she told them with an honest smile, "It makes sense, after all, I was the one who asked father to bring me back some cherry blossom seeds."

At this, Rukia giggled as she said while looking out into the direction of their garden, "Although, I didn't expect to be presented with my very own cherry blossom tree."

"Beauty," wailed Rangiku and Orihime sadly as they tried to hold back the tears that were forming in their eyes.

"Father," Rukia told Jushiro with a serene smile as she placed a comforting hand on his own, "Please, please let me go in your place."

"It would be selfish of me to spare your life in exchange for my own," Jushiro said to Rukia as he tightly clutched her hand.

"It will be selfish of you if you deny me my request to save your life," Rukia pleaded with Jushiro, "I'm not offering to go, I'm willing to go...on my own free will."

"Rukia," Orihime yelled angrily at Rukia while the tears finally rolled down her cheeks, "That is enough, can't you see that father is suffering as it is...we must solve this problem thoroughly, so that no one is sacrificed."

"I agree," said Rangiku, then she turned to Gin and asked him with hope and tears in her eyes, "We can get through this with no one having to return to the castle, right Gin?"

Gin responded with a solemn expression as he told Rangiku, "I'm afraid not my dearest wife, there is no escaping this terrible doom...that befalls upon our family."

Rangiku gasped, buried her head in Gin's chest, and broke out crying while he tenderly stroked her hair in a comforting manner.

"I refuse to let Rukia go," Jushiro bellowed as he became frustrated with knowing that there was no way out of this situation.

"How far are you willing to go to prevent me from going to the castle," Rukia asked Jushiro as she also felt frustrated with this whole argument of whether she should go to the Beast's castle or not, even though she was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her father's life, "Whether you lock me in my room, tie me up, or put me behind bars, I will find a way to escape and travel to the Beast's castle...even if I have to sneak out while all of you are asleep."

"All of this is so hard to bear," Rangiku sobbed as Gin pulled her into a warm embrace, "I wish there was a way out of this."

"But there isn't," Orihime added in a wistful whisper as the tears in her eyes kept falling down her cheeks.

"Try to understand, my beloved family," Rukia spoke in a soft tranquil sincere voice, "The cherry blossom tree was for me, and this burden is also mine to bear alone...I'm willing to accept the Beast's invitation, with or without your consent."

"Do you realize what you're saying," Jushiro shouted out in anger and frustration, "I have seen this Beast with my own eyes, this monster with a heart as cold and dark as he is, and you expect me to give my youngest daughter, that I hold near and dear to my heart, to this thing; I will not tolerate this nonsense any longer...I will not buy out my own wretched deeds with my daughter's life."

"It seems you still do not understand, father," Rukia said to Jushiro with a small innocent smile, "I'm willing to risk my life to protect you, for I am not afraid of this Beast."

Jushiro stared at Rukia in astonishment as she continued with a cheerful giggle, "And he must not be that bad of a Beast, since he grows such beautiful cherry blossom trees."

"But a beast will always be a beast," Jushiro mentioned helplessly to Rukia, knowing what the final decision was going to conclude to.

Knowing there was no turning back in her decision, Rukia smiled and replied, "A beast is a beast that is true, but can't a beast be tamed?"

A couple more minutes of silence went by, but Jushiro slowly nodded his and asked Rukia with the best smile he could conjure up, "Until now, I would've begged that you wouldn't ask this of me, and maybe even reconsidered your decision. You're such a kind hearted person, my little Beauty, and now I must ask the impossible from you one last time...are you willing to go through with this?"

Without hesitation or fear, Rukia answered with a honest heart, "Yes, I am willing."

Jushiro loved Rukia dearly, and would've done anything, rather than give her to the Beast; but Rukia felt highly responsible for what had happened, and the last thing Jushiro wanted to do was to deny her wishes...even if it was for something as painful and unbearable as this.

So with a heavy heart, Jushiro told Rukia as a single silent tear fell from his eye, "When the month is up..._we will return to the Beast's castle_."

_**That's the end of the eighth chapte**__**r to "A Cherry Bloss**__**om F**__**orever After!" :) This was the moment you've all been waiting for, and now it's here; Rukia's final decision has been made...she is willing to go to the Beast's castle in her father Jushiro's place. Hee hee hee, and we all know what happens when Rukia arrives at the castle and meets the Beast...but I'll keep that part a secret. Besides, there are gonna be many chapters about Rukia and her days in the castle. What will develop between Rukia and the Beast when she arrives at the castle? Will she hate him for taking her away from her family? Will she fear him for being the beast he is? Or will something more come out of this relationship between the beauty and the beast? I'll try to manage as much as I can to update these stories, as well as during my upcoming college term. Also, keep an eye out for more of my Byakuya/Rukia fanfiction stories, along with my other stories; consisting of Pokémon and Digimon. **__**On that note, please continue to read, "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" Farewell my readers! :D**_


	9. Return to the Beast's Castle

_**Hello my beloved readers! :) Sorry if it took me so long to update this fanfiction story, since Christmas is just around the bend, I've decided to take a winter break...and enjoy spending a little holiday time with my family. So, before I go on my winter break, I've decided to leave a Christmas update present for you. Anyway a little story review, in case anyone needs remembering of where my story last picked off. After returning home from his "magical journey," Jushiro told his family about his encounter with the Beast...and the offer that he promised him, for taking his cherry blossom tree. With Rukia agreeing to the Beast's offer of her going to the castle in Jushiro's place, will she be able to live up to her word of "taming the beast?" What sort of wonders await Rukia, as she and Jushiro prepare to leave...for the Beast's castle once more. **__**Even though the major Beauty and the Beast events are going to be known, what sort of obstacles await Rukia and Byakuya in this story of a beauty...who wins the heart of a beast? Also, keep an eye out for my other fanfiction stories; consisting of Digimon and Pokemon. Please enjoy the newest chapter of "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" :D**_

_**Reminder: Remember, I don't own Bleach or the characters, so please excuse my writing if the characters are out of character, personality, or any other characteristics. Even my couple matches many be a bit hard to imagine, but really, it's the only way to make my story work well. Once again, I hope you enjoy my new story! :D**_

_**A Cherry Blossom Forever After**_

_***~Chapter Nine: Return to the Beast's Castle~***_

_"But a beast will always be a beast," Jushiro mentioned helplessly to Rukia, knowing what the final decision was going to conclude to._

_Knowing there was no turning back in her decision, Rukia smiled and replied, "A beast is a beast that is true, but can't a beast be tamed?"_

_A couple more minutes of silence went by, but Jushiro slowly nodded his and asked Rukia with the best smile he could conjure up, "Until now, I would've begged that you wouldn't ask this of me, and maybe even reconsidered your decision. You're such a kind hearted person, my little Beauty, and now I must ask the impossible from you one last time...are you willing to go through with this?"_

_Without hesitation or fear, Rukia answered with a honest heart, "Yes, I am willing."_

_Jushiro loved Rukia dearly, and would've done anything, rather than give her to the Beast; but Rukia felt highly responsible for what had happened, and the last thing Jushiro wanted to do was to deny her wishes...even if it was for something as painful and unbearable as this._

_So with a heavy heart, Jushiro told Rukia as a single silent tear fell from his eye, "When the month is up...we will return to the Beast's castle."_

* * *

That night, Rukia couldn't sleep; instead, she stared out her window, looking at the forest in which this mysterious Beast lived...along with all his magical wonders. Ever since she laid eyes on the forest, Rukia knew that there was something about it that gave her a rush of mixed feelings; happiness, uneasiness, intrigue, and fascination. Rukia couldn't pinpoint the exact emotion she was feeling whenever she gazed at the forest, but one thing was for certain...something about that forest captured her. And now, Rukia was finally going to figure out what the sole purpose of her being so captured by a dark, mysterious, and somewhat magical forest was; because now...she had accepted the Beast's proposal to save her father, in exchange for her own life.

Yes, Rukia knew that when the month was up, she would go to the Beast's castle in her father's place...and try to live up to her promise of "Taming the Beast."

As the weeks swiftly went by, everything seemed all too quiet and solitary for Rukia. Everyday, Rukia would walk down the hallways of her home and hear the whispers of her family, hoping and praying...that somehow, she would be safe, when she goes to live at the Beast's castle.

Whenever the Ukitake's got together for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, they would usually come up with a pleasant conversation that went on for hours. However, ever since Rukia accepted the Beast's proposal, there was nothing...but an uneasy silence between the family.

Instead of feeling the pain and sadness that her family felt, Rukia found a certain solace and soothing place under her enchanted cherry blossom tree. Like she did with the cherry blossom trees at her old house, Rukia would carry a lot of books in her arms and read under the cherry blossom tree; except with her enchanted tree...it felt like someone was there, listening to her read the stories out loud.

The last four weeks of the month passed by quicker than the family had expected; and the knowledge of Rukia, who was finally leaving to the Beast's castle, didn't seem to help the Ukitake family with the passing of another family member...with the Beast claiming one of their own, it felt like they were losing another.

The day of returning to the castle came all too soon for the Ukitake family, Rukia didn't feel the need to pack so much stuff; after all, she was going to be living in a castle...with a Beast. Once she was done packing, Rukia took one last look around her little cottage before leaving, starting with her attic room, then the parlour, then the kitchen, and finally the garden; where she met her father Jushiro...who was, unfortunately, already prepared to return to the Beast's castle.

"Are you ready," Jushiro asked Rukia in a soft melancholy voice as she walked up to him and Kuri, who he thought would help him get to the Beast's castle faster...so he could get the sad passing of giving his daughter to the Beast over with?

"Yes," Rukia told Jushiro quietly, but surely as she saddled Kuri before mounting him. Before she and Jushiro could leave, Rukia saw Rangiku, Orihime, and Gin standing by the kitchen's threshold; her sisters each carried a baby in their arms.

As the Ukitake family came to see Rukia off, they slowly waved to her with solemn looks on their faces; all except Hana and Simmon, who were completely oblivious to what was going on at the moment.

Rukia waved back at Rangiku, Orihime, and Gin as she whispered under her breath while a single tear fell down her cheek, "Good-bye, my beloved family."

Jushiro grabbed Kuri's reins while Rukia held onto his waist from behind, he started with a gallop, and then went into a canter...as they finally disappeared into the forest.

As they rode into the forest, it became more visible to Rukia than from her bedroom window; the trees were so tall that they seemed to reach the sky, there were a few shrubs and bushes, some of the rocks were covered in moss, and there were even a couple of beautiful wildflowers.

Hours went by until the sunlight fell from among the trees leaves, and then, Jushiro told Rukia in a soft whisper as he pointed out into the distance, "Rukia, look."

Rukia looked at the very thing her father wanted her to see, a road, but not just any road...it was the road leading to the heart of the forest, and the Beast's castle.

As she saw the road, Rukia was eager to get to the castle more quickly; knowing that the moment they approached the road, Jushiro would begin to beg her to reconsider and let him go to the castle alone. However, Jushiro knew that deep down, Rukia would never leave him; and that her essential determination and courage was beyond his control.

As she and Jushiro rode Kuri down the road, which would lead them to the Beast's castle, Rukia felt a certain welcoming feeling; instead of a hostile one. However, that shallow welcoming feeling soon ebbed away as they walked further and further down the road...until they stopped at the silver gates, which led to the Beast's castle.

When Jushiro dismounted Kuri, he walked up to the same silver gates that led him to a place that soon changed his life, touched them, and whispered a soft prayer, "I've returned as promised, I only pray that the 'Master,' residing here will show mercy to a humble father...and his innocent daughter."

As Rukia dismounted Kuri, she walked up to the silver gates and said to Jushiro with a smile as she placed her hand on his own, "Father, you don't have to go any farther. These are the silver gates that lead to the castle right, so if I leave now...," her voice turned into a quiet whisper, "...We can both move on with our lives, with me leaving to the castle; and you heading for home."

Jushiro knew that this was probably the last time he and Rukia would see each other, so for the last time, he pleaded to her, "My child, please don't do this. I've beared this pain and sadness long enough, for I cannot let you do this...I'm begging you to go back home and let me return to the castle by myself."

Silence filled the air, until Rukia took a deep breath and told Jushiro with an innocent and honest smile, "Father, you know as well as I do that the decision I made is final, you can't revoke or stop it now. You also know as well as I do...that the longer this parting lasts, the more painful and sad it is to finally let go."

As the silver gates were slowly opening, Rukia walked forwards and said to Jushiro as she kept her gaze on the gates, knowing it would be unbearable to see her father's face at the moment of their parting, "Good-bye, my beloved father."

Once the silver gates fully opened, Jushiro told Rukia in a melancholy inaudible voice, "Good-bye, my Rukia...my beloved little Beauty."

Without another word from either of them, Rukia raced forward and ran towards the Beast's castle; and not once did she have the heart or courage to look back at her father Jushiro. The last thing Rukia heard was the closing of the silver gates, separating her from her family...forever.

_**That's the end of the ninth chapte**__**r to "A Cherry Bloss**__**om F**__**orever After!" :) Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you like my updated story that I give to you as a present. Now that Rukia has said her good-bye's to her family...she's finally arrived at the Beast's castle. Hee hee hee, and we all know what happens when Rukia arrives at the castle and meets the Beast...but I'll keep that part a secret. Besides, there are gonna be many chapters about Rukia and her days in the castle. What will develop between Rukia and the Beast when she arrives at the castle? Will she hate him for taking her away from her family? Will she fear him for being the beast he is? Or will something more come out of this relationship between the beauty and the beast? I'll try to manage as much as I can to update those stories, as well as during my upcoming college term. Also, keep an eye out for my other fanfiction stories; consisting of Pokemon and Digimon. **__**On that note please continue to read "A Cherry Blossom Forever After!" Farewell my readers! :D**_


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